Shore
by ATHPluver
Summary: Anna, a lonely girl who has spent her life traveling, finds herself in Arendelle Cove. She uncovers a private, unused beach where meets a mysterious creature, who goes by the name of Elsa. An unlikely friendship is sparked and Anna finds herself falling for Elsa, in spite of so many obvious differences. Elsanna, no incest. No flames, please! RT: Mild swearing and suggestive themes.
1. A New Home

**I got hooked.**

**You guys don't understand how hard I tried not to… but I did.**

**I love Elsanna a lot more than I should. And… I fell in love with this song by Secretly Geek, who gave me permission to publish the story, called "Shore." It's about a mermaid and a human falling in love (kinda sorta not like Little Mermaid) and this amazing artist ASAMESHI drew a cover for the song… which has also become the cover for the story.**

**Not incest but plenty of Elsanna (forgive me, I've never written about a same-sex relationship like this before so it may suck).**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI owns the cover photo.**

* * *

There it was, a tiny, white paneled, two-story beach house settled near the coast, perched in line with a bunch of similar homes. It was nestled amongst a suburb and it was practically two steps away from the beach. I was sitting in the car, glancing up at what I would call home for who knows how long. I couldn't remember the last time I had stayed in a place for more than two months. For all I knew, I could be living here for a _day_.

All my life, I've been hopping around the world with my parents, being homeschooled and without friends. My folks are marine biologists and constantly go from place to place in order to study activity of the ocean. I once spent a year on a god-forsaken boat in the middle of the Atlantic. Seriously, I started calling my father Noah and kept asking him if the flood was over. I always earned a strange look from him, which was the best part of my day on the boat. We even holed ourselves up in the Arctic as they studied the mating of killer whales, which was incredibly odd for me because I didn't think two gigantic masses of blubber getting it on was fascinating enough to observe.

Gross, no way.

Now we were in this coastal town somewhere in California, I think. I've lost track of where we go because of how much we bounce around. The only location I yearned to return to was my dust-collecting home in Colorado— which we sold when I turned three so my parents could travel with their colleagues from their place of work. I had enjoyed the moving and I love a good road trip but one that lasts for fifteen years— I'm eighteen now— is too much. I want to settle down and live a life, make friends, and act like a normal human being.

But nope, here I am, being dragged along with my parents until I can make a solid living for myself. That might be impossible because every job I managed to land— if any— would be purely temporary.

Once Dad parked in the driveway, Mom turned to look over the shoulder of the passenger's seat at me. I was still in my seat, my earbuds in and my iPod turned up all the way. I met her eyes and she made a gesture to remove them so she could speak with me. I did so and raised my eyebrows.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Will you help me unpack the car, Anna?" she said.

"Yeah," I repeated, opening the car door.

I met Mom at the trunk of our SUV. I hate the stupid car. It was a gas-guzzling machine and ridiculously ironic for two biologists to drive. But whatever. Together, we lugged our luggage up to the house we were renting. Dad had unlocked the door and was making a few phone calls to some local science facilities we were in contact with. The house was actually very nice, considering. It was a bit of a climb, since the house was on a deck. Our car was in a covered driveway, the cover being a part of the second story.

The living room was wide, connecting with the kitchen and dining room. There was a guest bathroom next to the stairs. The entire house was furnished and I wondered who we had rented this place from. It was all beached themed, _super_ cliché, and very light colors. Like sandy browns, pale yellows, baby blues, and white, lots of white.

After Dad made the calls, he helped with the rest of the luggage. I hauled all three of my bags up the stairs and headed down the hall, where my bedroom was supposed to be according to Mom. I just so happened to get the room with its own private balcony that overlooked the ocean. My parents' bedroom had one, too, but it was separated from mine. Our rooms weren't directly next to one another, the bathroom being in the middle. The room above the driveway was a den/library and would be my folks' work place until we leave.

All in all, it was a simple house.

I loved my bedroom though. It had pale colors, just like the rest of the house, but was beautiful. It was actually one of the first bedrooms I had that I enjoyed. The other ones were either cramped or ugly… Ha, I guess this one would suffice.

I shoved my clothes into the drawers and set up my toiletries in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Then I returned downstairs to meet my parents and see what the game plan was for the rest of the day.

"So," I said, flopping down onto the couch and beaming at them. "What's going on now?"

"We have to get meet up with a group of friends at the local science lab," Dad said. "Maybe you can walk around the town and make some friends."

I frowned. "That's unlikely, Dad…"

"Please, darling, try," Mom encouraged. "I know it's been hard to move around and I really wish we could have given you a normal life but—"

I held up my hand. "I get it… I've heard it." I leaned back in the cushions. "I'll do my best."

"That's my girl," Dad praised, kissing my forehead before walking Mom out. "We'll be home in time for dinner. There's a spare key on the counter so lock up when you leave."

"Take a sweater! It's cold out!" Mom said as they shut the door.

I waited until I heard the hum of our car leave the area. Jumping to my feet, bolting up the stairs, I grabbed my sweatshirt from my room and slid down the railing back downstairs. Then I took the key with me outside, locking the door behind me.

It was a cool day, the summer season settling over the country so it was still overcast. I smiled to myself and marveled at the sight of being in such a pretty town. In spite of going to many places and my cynical views, I really did like to visit certain areas. The beach village was cute and I was excited to see the sights.

I skipped down the steps and turned sharply, walking through the driveway and reaching the beach. I removed my sneakers and socks, holding them in my hands as I walked along the shore, the cool water tickling my ankles. I sighed with content, liking this new location more and more as I went. I saw the local village come up from the distance. The place was about as big as two New York City blocks, not counting the residential areas and the work places a few miles from the town. The whole county consisted of the town, the rest was miles and miles of farming areas and fields of grass.

My perfect kind of place. Simple and quiet. Much better than our last location in Australia where my parents were studying the Great Barrier Reef for the ten-millionth time. Too much noise in Sydney…

I made my way to the town, my stomach growling a bit. I felt my pockets to make sure I had my wallet with me— I did— and headed over to the street, shoving my socks and shoes back on. I stuck my hands in my sweatshirt pockets, gazing up at the pearly grey sky.

My feet hit the concrete sidewalk and I entered the little town, where I found myself surrounded by the cutest little stores. Every single place was a mom-and-pop shop and there was only, like, _two_ Starbucks. That was rare nowadays.

Because I wanted some lunch, I entered a sandwich store. The entire place was crowded with small tables and chairs in one corner. The counter was shoved near the back where an open archway led into the kitchens. A couple of people were sitting down and talking loudly. The whole place smelled of melting cheese and toasted bread.

Yum!

I was seriously starving. I hadn't eaten since yesterday but it hadn't been a feast. Taco Bell wasn't exactly my idea of dinner. I mean, yeah, I love it on occasion and when I'm feeling like indulging in some fast food but…

Whatever, that's not the point.

I approached the counter and rang the bell for service. A blond boy poked his head out from the doorway and held up a finger, telling my to wait a second. I smiled with understanding and did just so.

After a quick moment, he came out with a sandwich wrapped in brown paper. He called out a name and some girl bounded up to him, taking the food and leaving.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"Oh… yeah," I said, gazing up at the menu. "What's good?"

He blinked. "What's… are you new here?"

"Yeah, I am," I replied. "Why?"

"'Cause everyone in town has been in here," he said, sizing me up. "And I've never seen you here before."

"Well, I just moved… for a while," I said with a wry smile.

"A while?" he repeated.

"Long story," I said, meeting his brown eyes. "Point is, I'm a sandwich snob. What's the best thing you got?"

He grinned at me. "I think the grilled ham and cheese is the greatest— it's a classic."

"Then that's what I'll have!" I agreed.

"Coming right up," he said, writing down the order.

I paid him the four bucks and he sent the order into the kitchens, standing by the register to keep me company.

"So, what's your name?" he said conversationally.

"Anna," I said. "What's yours?"

"Kristoff," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Likewise." He shifted from foot to foot. "Well, let me be the first to welcome you to our little town," he said, spreading his arms. "Arendelle Cove is the finest beach village within a fifty mile radius!"

I laughed. "Thank you very much."

It was so nice to talk to another human that wasn't my Mom or Dad.

"What brought you here, though?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"My parents and I travel a lot," I shrugged. "So all my life, I've been on a constant vacation."

"Sounds fun."

"It would for some people… but when you've gone almost everywhere _twice_, come and talk to me about how fun it can get. It's tiring."

He mulled that over and then nodded slowly. "Yeah… yeah, now that I think about it."

"So, Kristoff, what's there to do for fun around here?" I asked.

"Depends on what you're into," he countered.

I smiled coyly. "What are you talking about?"

He shrugged. "I'm just wondering what you like to do… Everyone has their likes and dislikes. If you like the beach, then you're in luck."

"I haven't noticed," I quipped.

I glanced around the shop and noticed a group of cute girls sitting by the window. His gaze followed mine and he raised his brows.

"Am I also in luck when it comes to dating?" I said, more to myself than to him.

I have the worst luck with asking people out. And up until recently, I had come out of the closet to my parents. I had found that I preferred girls over boys when we spent a school semester in New York, where I actually attend school until we left in February. I had dated a boy but I… I just didn't like it.

Then I dated a girl. That I liked.

"Oh, I see," he said. "Well, rest assured, girls go for girls here in this town, too." He sent me a kind smile. "I'm all for it." He eyed me. "But to be perfectly honest, I would've never guessed you were…"

I laughed and faced him. "You wouldn't be the first."

He seemed a tad disappointed and I realized that he had been interested in me. I freaked out and shook my head.

"Oh, no, Kristoff, I don't mean to make you sad that I—!"

He burst out laughing, causing some of the costumers to look over in our direction. I gave him a crooked grin as he met my eyes.

"Hey, no trouble. That's my bad." He was handed my sandwich wrapped in brown paper, which he gave to me. "But I'd like to hang out with you sometime, just as friends, if that's okay?"

I smiled back at him. "Yeah, that sounds nice. I'd really like a friend for once."

Wait, what?

Great going, Anna, you just shoved all this pressure on—

"I'd be honored to fill that spot," he said kindly, chuckling at my screw up.

"Thanks," I said, leaving him a five dollar tip and my cell number. "Whenever's good for me. I've got nothing going on this summer."

"I'll give you call," he promised.

I smiled at him once again before leaving the shop. I let out a long breath and thanked goodness he didn't totally leave my ass just because I preferred girls over guys. Kristoff was a decent person, truly, and I was happy he was interested in just being friends.

Mom'll be happy to know that I met someone, at least.

I decided to take my lunch to the beach and eat there. I found a small tide pool and followed it until I reached a dock. I strolled beneath it and hiked around a pile of rocks. There was a path neat the top that was covered up by a few bushes. I looked around the area. Was anyone watching?

Not seeing anyone, I pushed through the bushes and took the path. After a good five minutes of walking I entered a hidden cove complete with a sandy shore and a cave carved into the mountain side. The water was a beautiful cerulean color and a few palm trees were sprouting out of the sand.

Was this the cove the town was named after? Perhaps… but it looked unused. I almost felt like I was trespassing on sacred grounds.

But I felt a pull towards the sand. So I plopped myself down onto the ground, feeling the sand beneath my palm. It was soft, like flour… and nearly white, too. The only footsteps in the area were mine and the only sounds I could hear were the call of the seagulls and the rush of the tide.

I unwrapped my sandwich, still warm, and bit into it. Kristoff was right: this was excellent. I hummed pleasantly and gazed out into the water. The cove was a crescent shape and very private. There was no chance I would be caught and I had a feeling nobody would come and seek me out.

When I finished my lunch, I stuffed the brown paper in my sweatshirt pocket. I had no intention in tarnishing the beauty of the safe haven. I removed my sweatshirt, the sun getting higher and forcing the clouds to dissipate, and rested it behind me so I could rest my head on it. I smiled up at the sky and watched the clouds go by, mumbling out shapes I saw and wondering if my parents were worried about me.

No, they would call me first.

I closed my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful nap for an hour. Thankfully, I had lathered myself with sunscreen before I left so I was avoiding a bad burn. My freckled skin could burn so easily, I needed it a lot. But I ended up tanning nicely…

When I woke up, it was to the sound of splashing.

Wait, splashing?

I sat bolt upright and looked into the water. I could have sworn I saw something flicking away and sinking into the ocean before I could make it out. It was almost like a tail…

"I'm going crazy," I said with a grin and getting to my feet. I brushed the sand off my body. "Loneliness can get to you, huh…. _aaand_ I'm talking to myself. Again."

Great.

I picked my sweatshirt off the ground and snuck a peek over my shoulder, just in case I _wasn't_ going insane. Not seeing anything, and convincing myself it was just a trick of the light, I made the trek back home.

Once I arrived, I found the car in the driveway. I tossed my empty sandwich bag into the trashcan on my way up the steps of our house. I unlocked the door and found my Dad watching a baseball game and Mom cooking dinner.

I smiled at the rare sight. We actually looked like a normal family.

"Hiya," I said, kicking the door shut behind me.

"Hello, Anna!" Dad grinned, waving. "How was your day?"

"Really good, actually," I said, sitting beside him and watching the game. Tied up at the top of the sixth, Dodgers on the outfield. "I got some lunch at this cute sandwich place, met this really nice local named Kristoff— super sweet guy, too— and I took a nap on the beach." I stretched out on the couch and rested my feet on the coffee table. "So yeah, it was a pretty good day."

"Feet off the table, Anna," Mom chastised.

I rolled my eyes but obliged. Dad took a swig of his beer.

"Any girls you like?" he asked.

"_David!_" Mom scolded playfully.

"Mom, chill," I laughed.

My parents are so cool with me digging the girls— ha— and it's kind of become a joke amongst us. I mean, it wasn't like they weren't shocked when I came out to them. But they learned to accept it and I was glad it didn't turn out to be a big drama.

"No. No girls," I said with a little shrug. "Sure some were cute but… why do we have to point it out every place we go?"

"Trying to relate," Dad said lamely.

"Dad, you're such a liar!" I grinned. "Besides, I dunno how long we'll be here so there's no point in me looking for anyone, girl or friend or whatever."

Then my folks fell silent. I chewed on my lip and continued to view the game. Both teams were doing a terrible job so I tuned out.

"Hey, Anna, can you do me a favor?" Mom asked.

"Hm?"

"Run down to the grocery store and pick up a few cucumbers," Mom said, scanning her list. "I thought I had gotten them but I guess I missed them…"

"Sure thing!" I chimed.

She handed me ten bucks for the groceries and I walked out of the house, my jacket in hand. I held it in my hand, the sun just barely touching the ocean's horizon. I took the same route I did on my way to the sandwich place, walking along the coast.

I gazed wistfully at the sea and caught sight of something familiar. Another splash and the tiniest flicker of what looked like a tail. I froze and stared at the spot, waiting to see it again.

"God, what I'm _doing_?" I mumbled, continuing my stroll. "Seriously, what the hell?"

But I kept glancing out of the corner of my eye to see if I could catch it. Whatever it was, it never resurfaced. I made it to the store, got the cucumbers, and the walked back via streets, not wanting to lose my sanity on my way home.

I returned to the house and handed my Mom the grocery bag and cash before running up to my room. Something hit me on my way home… something that might actually answer my worries:

The Internet.

I sat down at a desk that was in my room and I opened up my laptop. I found the Wifi server and, by some great miracle, it was without a password. I opened Google and typed in the name of my new town.

Ads popped up about a hotel in the area and rooms available, the houses for sale on my block, and the fun attractions. Apparently, Arendelle Cove was a nice tourist attraction but only during the late summer. One of those places where you can get away from everyone you hate— or love but can't stand— for a week. No wonder the beaches were so empty. I had started to think that I was doing something illegal by stepping on the sand because of the lack of beach-goers.

I found a brief history on Arendelle Cove and read about it. Founded in 1945, yadda, yadda, cute beach village, blah, blah, blah…

"Ooh," I let out, finding a picture of a mermaid at the bottom of the page. There was a small article about it and I read it out loud, trying to grasp it fully. "'But the most popular thing that all tourists and locals look for is the legendary clan of Mermaids that supposedly live out in the sea. For years, there have been sightings from sailors and beach goers who say that they've seen flickers of tail and shimmering reflections of presumed scales in the water. This myth has long since been pushed aside but some fanatics still cling to the belief that the Mermaids still exist out in the big blue…'"

It continued on to an interview of some scientist but I stopped reading. I leaned forward and typed in _Arendelle Cove Mermaid_.

I must be going crazy.

But I kept my search going. I clicked images and skimmed through blurry photos and art of the legendary icon. There was a flag that belonged to the town with a mermaid's silhouette in the middle of a blue, yellow, and green striped banner. Otherwise, there was nothing useful.

"Anna— Dinner!" Mom called form downstairs.

"Coming!" I shouted back.

Mermaids? Ha! I really must be going crazy to believe such a ridiculous myth. I almost convinced myself…

Maybe I could ask Kristoff.

* * *

For a week, I would grab some lunch from some random shop and then go to my special cove. I explored the cave and played my ukelele that I picked up from my last trip to Hawaii. I would sing and listen to the echo of my voice. The thought of the mermaid had been pushed to the back of my mind and I was simply enjoying my time here for as long as I could.

The Monday of the second week, I decided to visit Kristoff and ask him the question that was still gnawing at my curiosity. I entered the shop for lunch again. Kristoff was at the counter and was talking to some auburn haired guy. He spotted me and waved me over.

"Hey, Anna!" he said. "This is my friend, Hans. Hans, this is Anna."

"Nice to meet you," Hans said with a charming smile.

"Same here," I said. "You're a local, too?"

He nodded.

"Great, okay, 'cause I need to ask you guys something… crazy," I said, glancing over my shoulder.

"I love crazy," Hans assured with a laugh.

"It must be interesting because nothing crazy happens around here," Kristoff added.

"Okay…" I beckoned them to come closer. They leaned forward and I hissed out, "What's this about a mermaid?"

They groaned.

"Oh, you heard about that?" Hans said with a shake of his head. "Old news, old news."

"I figured but it's new to me," I said defensively.

"It's a myth, Anna," Kristoff told me. "Believe me. I spent days on end looking out into the ocean, hoping to see a pretty mermaid. But it was a stupid dream."

"That's kinda romantic," I supplied cheekily.

"Yeah, when you're nine," Hans teased, poking Kristoff in the arm.

"Regardless, it's a silly story," Kristoff insisted. "You could look if you want. I won't judge 'cause I've done it. Who knows, though… maybe it _is_ true."

"Don't get the girl's hopes up," Hans said. "Drop it, Anna."

I didn't know who to believe now. Kristoff said it was a myth but worth trying to figure out. Hans simply told me to stop acting like a moron. I sighed and shook my head.

"Whatever," I said. "Can I just get a grilled ham and cheese again?"

"Sure thing," Kristoff said.

Once I got it, paid, and all that fun stuff, I returned to the cove I had visited yesterday. I sat back in the soft sand and ate my lunch peacefully, smiling out into the water. It was such a beautiful day and I was loving the silence surrounding me. No one could bother me here, nobody could pollute the natural cove, and nobody could see me. It was just me and the sea.

I stood up and walked over to the water, my bare feet scrunching up the sand between my toes. I stopped at the line where the tide met the shore, the cool water lapping at my ankles.

Holding my arms to my chest, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds to the ocean. I smelled the salt air and heard the cry of the seagulls as they flew overhead.

Then I heard it again.

The splashing.

I opened my eyes and looked around me, hoping to catch the source. I didn't think it was a mermaid. All I wanted was to assure myself that I wasn't going crazy!

I stepped away from the tide and strained my ears as I walked to a small collection of rocks. I climbed around them and over them, the splashing getting louder. Somehow, I clambered over a couple of stones, cutting my knees in the process but I didn't care, and ended up landing on a bunch of wet sand covered by a thin layer of water. It splashed from my leap and dampened the hem of my shorts. I found myself in a crevice barely big enough for three people.

Then I saw it.

A flicker of a tail and some skin gliding along the bottom of the clear water. My breath hitched as the figure paused. Then a head bobbed out of the water. I clamped my hand over my mouth to prevent myself from screaming and backed into the rocky surface behind me. My eyes were wide and I had no idea what I was witnessing. The blue eyes of the head met mine and they widened, too.

I swallowed and lowered my hand, falling to my knees into the sand. The water soaked through my denim but I hardly noticed. I leaned forward and observed the head.

It belonged to a girl… a _pretty_ girl. She had platinum blonde hair and pale skin, lightly freckled across her nose. Her hair was braided and tossed over one shoulder, which became more apparent as she rose out of the water just until her shoulders were seen.

"Hello?" I choked out.

* * *

**What's to happen next? You'll have to see the next chapter! And be sure to check out the song "Shore" to get a good idea of what might come. Be sure to check out Secretly Geek's Tumblr: Frozest, too!**

**Please do review. But flames and saying stuff like 'ew gross girls liking girls' or 'no you suck they're sisters' will _NOT_ be tolerated.**

**See you next time!**


	2. Getting To Know Her

**Welcome back, everyone! I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long.**

**So Anna just ran into this random girl on the beach… what will ensue?**

**And hey, you can always follow Secretly Geek's Tumblr (Frozest) and my Tumblr (athpluver). My ask box is open!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI owns the cover photo.**

* * *

"Hello?" I choked out.

"Hi," she breathed.

"You… you're real, right?" I asked dumbly.

She knit her brows together. "Excuse me?"

"I… uh… duh," I bit my tongue.

Great intro, Anna. Clearing my throat I leaned back and rested my hands on my knees. The girl— please, let her just be a normal human— moved closer to me.

"Who are you?" she asked me, cocking her head to one side.

"A… A person who needs to get a grip," I grumbled to myself. I drew in a deep breath and gave her a pleasant smile. "I'm Anna! I'm new to town."

She sized me up, almost as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of me. I don't blame her. I mean, some random girl stumbling over her words like a complete idiot on this empty beach would be pretty odd. Maybe this was _her_ private place to be and I was intruding on her freedom. But I couldn't move. My knees were glued to the sand and my joints refused to cooperate with my brain.

"I mean, new to town for the time being," I went on. "I guess I'm here for only a certain amount of time, depending on what my parents are planning. But it's not like I have any idea whatsoever about their next move. I've been almost everywhere so it's hard for me to imagine where we could go after this." I toyed with my fingers and kept looking at her. "But, hey, if I'm not supposed to be here, tell me. I've been coming here for a while now and I haven't seen anyone else and—"

"That's been you?" she interrupted, thankfully because I was starting to ramble.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," I squeaked.

She smiled. "No, no… I've been enjoying the company. Although, you've been far away, it's still nice to hear you sing."

I blushed. "Oh, you heard that?" She nodded and I rubbed the back of my neck. "I see… well, I'm embarrassed. I need to work on it—"

"You are very good," she complimented.

"I am? Well, I suppose so. I had voice lessons once when I was staying in England," I confided. "But that's not the point. How long have you been coming here?"

"Oh, maybe a year or so. Gets me away from my life at home," she said. "Hectic, y'know?"

"Arendelle Cove is hectic?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "Sister, I don't know about you, but this place is far from hectic."

"I don't live in Arendelle Cove," she said with a small shake of her head.

"You… you don't?" I said. "Oh, so you're a tourist?"

"No."

"Then what are you talking about?"

She spread her hands. "I live around here but not on the land..."

Then I saw it. It waved behind her gently, causing the water to ripple. It was a pale green color, transparent… My eyes wandered down her body in the crystalline water— not being creepy, I swear— and spotted that she was wearing seashells over her chest rather than a bra or a bikini top. I kept my gaze sliding down her figure and where her waist was supposed to meet a pair of legs was—

A tail.

She _was_ a mermaid!

"Oh… oh, oh, oh, oh!" I squealed, splitting into a grin.

So I _wasn't_ crazy! Haha! I'm not crazy!

"You're a mermaid!" I shouted. "I can't believe it! But I gotta, 'cause you're, like, right in front of me! Oh, _wow_… and you're so pretty, too! I guess the legends weren't— hey, wait!"

The girl began to sink away, fear and shame in her eyes. But she paused when I called out to her. I crawled forward until my knees hit the tide, reaching out to her.

"I'm so rude," I said. "I never asked for your name…"

She glanced down at my hand and then into my eyes. My heart skipped a beat as she hesitantly swam over and slid her pale hand into mine. It wasn't a handshake… I was simply holding her hand in my own, her fingers clasped around my wrist.

I felt electric shocks shoot up my spine. Her skin was damp from the sea water, her hair plastered to her face. But she was gorgeous, amazing… _stunning._

"Elsa," she whispered. "My name is Elsa."

"Yeah?" I said, barely breathing. "That's cool."

She giggled and slipped her hand out of mine. I swear, I must have looked like such an idiot just sitting and gawking at her.

"So… so you're a mermaid," I pointed out the obvious.

"And you're a human," she countered.

"It would appear to be so," I said. "What are you doing here? Where the hell do you _live_? I thought… I thought that… Why, I don't know _what_ I thought. I'm having such a hard time believing you're real."

"I'm very real," she assured.

And boy, did I know it. That simple gesture of our greeting, her skin on my skin, was a wake up call to how real she was.

I felt the sun beat down on my neck, the water nuzzle my skin, and felt the wind through my hair. My senses were alive and every little detail was being picked up. All I could focus on to keep me grounded was Elsa. She was smiling at me still, pleasant innocence written all over her features.

"So…" she began. "You know my secret… but to be honest it wasn't much of one to begin with." Elsa splashed her tail around. "I mean, it's obvious."

"That's so cool," I blurted.

"Wha-?"

"You're a mermaid! I know I keep saying that, but really! It's super cool!" I said, spreading my arms. "I've always wanted to be a mermaid ever since I was little. Of course, it's impossible to become one but… you guys _exist_. It's hard for me to grasp." I ran a hand through my hair, my nerves on fire. "I feel like I'm dreaming."

Suddenly, I heard my cell phone start to ring from my sweatshirt on the main beach. Elsa looked over in the direction of my phone, blinking with surprise. I scrambled up the rocks and tumbled onto the beach. I rushed over and dug it out of my pocket, picking it up on the last ring.

"Hello?" I spoke into it.

"Hey, Anna!" Kristoff's voice said cheerfully. "Hans and I are getting together with a couple of friends tonight for some poker. You down?"

"I… uh…" I glanced towards the water and saw Elsa bobbing in the tide.

She had followed me…

"What time?" I asked.

"Eight-ish. We'll order pizza and he's got a bunch of drinks," he said. "Buy in is twenty bucks 'cause we roll that way." He laughed.

"Sure! Sounds great," I agreed. "I'll meet you at the shop. See you then…"

I hung up and dropped my phone onto my jacket. I looked back at Elsa who was staring at my phone with distaste.

"I don't like those," she said.

"Why not?" I said, going over to the tide and sitting on the line that the tide barely reached so I wouldn't get soaked.

"Humans are… they're always on them," she noted. "I've seen them on the beach. They don't talk to one another anymore."

I giggled. "Yeah, we're pretty backwards socially." I hugged my knees to my chest. "But I don't mind talking face to face."

How in the world was I able to speak with her so easily? A mythical creature that I used to think was a fairy tale was swimming right in front of me! Why wasn't I freaking out!? Calling National Geographic— only to be called a nut job— and telling them I made the discovery of a lifetime.

And Kristoff would be so excited that I found the legendary Arendelle Cove storybook icon!

"You're a nice person," Elsa said softly. "Not many humans would talk to me… although, I'm not supposed to let anyone talk to me."

"Why not?"

"Our race is a secret… we're only here to keep the oceans clean and to protect what humans can't reach below the land," she said, running a finger along the water's surface.

Well, Kristoff wasn't going to hear the good news.

"And I'm lonely over there," Elsa went on, her eyes glazing over.

"I know how you feel," I said. "I haven't had a real friend in years… I was just invited to hang out with some people but it might be because they pity me…"

"Pity you?"

"Nothing… never mind. I don't want to drag you into my troubles."

"What if I want to hear about it?"

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline.

"Trust me, Elsa, you don't," I said.

She pursed her lips and said no more. I drew random circles in the sand with my finger and gazed at my new companion.

"So you're a mermaid… cool, I've established that. What's it like being one?" I spoke.

"How do you mean?" She cocked her head to one side.

"Do ya have magic or something crazy like that?" I added.

"No…"

"Huh. You would think."

"I don't have magic but I can speak your language," she said, pointing at me. "I learned by listening to the humans on boats and beaches."

"Where do you live?"

"I don't think you need to know that," she smirked. "That's something I should keep to myself."

"Fair enough."

I checked my watch and realized that I should get back home. I had a show to catch and I promised my Dad I would be home before six. I stood up and brushed my shorts off.

"Hey, it's been fun," I said. "But I gotta get going home."

"Oh."

Elsa looked crestfallen. I smiled at her and raised a hand in farewell.

"I'll be back tomorrow, though," I promised, placing my hand over my heart. "I'd love to get to know you some more… I'm really interested in you."

Elsa flushed. "I'd like that."

I gathered my things and stepped into my sandals. As I walked up the path, I glanced over my shoulder. Elsa was gone, the only sign of her was the rippling water and reflection of her pale green tail. I felt my mood lift.

So I wasn't going crazy. That was a plus… but I had acted to calmly…

My eyes widened as full realization slammed into me. I had a normal conversation with a _mermaid!_

Holy crap, what!?

I stared at the spot Elsa had been, slowly walking up the pathway until I tripped over my own feet. Cursing and catching myself before I fell, I marched away.

* * *

At eight o'clock, I met Kristoff by his store and we walked down to his friend Eugene's house. The blond next to me was asking how I liked Arendelle Cove so far and I shrugged, telling him it was okay.

I couldn't get the image of Elsa out of my head. This mystical being watching me, talking with me, and wanting to hear my sob story. And even though I barely knew her, she was compassionate and I really liked that in a person… mermaid… or _whatever_. I hadn't experienced that kind of attention since my ex-girlfriend.

The next thing I knew, Kristoff stopped walking. We were in front of a beach house a few blocks away from my house. Instead of it being white, however, it was a pale peach color. I followed him up the steps and he knocked on the door. A booming bark was heard from the other side and a voice shouted,

"Hey, Max, shut up!"

Another voice, "Eugene, answer it."

"Oh… right."

The door was unlocked and a tall man holding a large great dane back by its collar stood over the threshold. A small brunette appeared at his side, nudging her way around what I assumed was Max.

"Come in before you get barreled over," she laughed.

Kristoff and I pushed our way in, the dog panting heavily and his tail thumping hard against the man's leg.

"Anna, this is Eugene and his girlfriend Rapunzel," Kristoff introduced. "Hans is upstairs in the game room… Hey, Eugene get a grip on Max, will ya?"

"It's not my fault!" Eugene snapped. "He's 160 pounds of love!"

The girl named Rapunzel laughed, grabbing my shoulders and guided me up the stairs.

"Ignore them," she told me. "They'll get this way all night."

"Good to know," I grinned.

We entered the room that covered Eugene's driveway. The room was slightly dim, a flatscreen TV hanging on the wall above a table with a Playstation and assorted video games. A girl with wild red hair was lounging on the couch, playing on her phone while Hans was setting up a table a couple of feet behind the couch. Three boxes of pizza was on a long table nestled against the wall with soda and candy and snacks galore.

"Hey, Merida!" Rapunzel said to the girl on the couch. "This is Anna! Anna, Merida."

Merida looked up from her phone and gave me a two-fingered salute, speaking in a thick Scottish accent.

"Nice to meet ya," she greeted.

"And you know Hans, right?" Rapunzel said, pointing over to him.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

Hans slapped down a deck of cards onto the table and waved at us without looking. He opened the deck and started to shuffle it, grumbling something about not letting Eugene cheat again. Kristoff and Eugene came inside, Max at their heels. The great dane wandered over to a massive dog bed in the corner and slumped into it, the tip of his tail wagging as he watched us move around the room.

As I was about to head over to the pizza, Eugene stopped me.

"Where's your buy in?" he asked me.

"What a warm welcome," Merida drawled, rolling her eyes.

"I got it! Calm down," I said, pulling out twenty bucks and handing it to him. Instead, Rapunzel snatched it out of my hands.

"Careful," she warned. "If he takes it, it might not make it into the pot."

"Hey!" Eugene pouted. "I resent that comment."

"It's true and you know it," Kristoff said, making his way over to the table. "Good thinking, Rapunzel."

She winked at Kristoff, slipping the money into her pocket, where I noticed the other buy ins were hidden from the thieving Eugene. Merida got herself off the couch and came over to me.

"So you're new to town?" she asked.

"Momentarily," I said.

She scrunched her brows together. "What's that mean?"

"She's here for as long as time permits," Kristoff supplied and I nodded.

"Odd… well, it's good to meet someone new in such a small town," Merida said. "Not everyday that people move to Arendelle Cove. I moved here from DunBroch— in Scotland— a long time ago and I ran into her—" She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at Rapunzel, who was taste-testing the dip. "She and I went to school together and we just graduated this year."

"Oh, yeah? I've only been to a real school twice. Once in New York and once in London… I'm homeschooled," I told her. "I was born in Colorado but I'm from everywhere, I guess."

"C'mon you guys! It's poker time!" Hans shouted at us.

We grabbed our food and drinks before we sat down and started the game. I was trying my best to pay attention to the hand but I was having trouble. The image of Elsa was burning the back of my mind, her wide blue eyes and sense of wonderment. How she seemed concerned about me, even though I was a total stranger. She was so sweet… and I was so fascinated with her. I wanted to know everything about her. What it was like being such a magical creature. Maybe I could take notes...

Oh, god, I'm becoming my parents—

"Anna, it's your go," Merida called from somewhere far away.

"Huh?"

I peered up from my stare down of the table. Everyone was looking at me strangely, as if I had been speaking another language. I cleared my throat and folded my cards. I had trash anyway.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I got lost in thought…"

"About that mermaid bullshit?" Hans said sourly, raising the bet.

"Kinda," I said.

"You do know it's a myth right?" Eugene said.

"Oh, knock it off," Rapunzel said, swatting him in the arm. "I still believe in it."

"You're crazy," Hans decided.

Merida folded her cards too. "I'm not a believer but I'll accept facts. If it turns out to be true, then great. If not, oh well."

"That's how I look at it," Kristoff mumbled to himself, taking a swig of his drink.

"Oh come _on_," Hans droned, rolling his eyes. "It's such a children's tall tale. Anna, you need to knock it off, all of you. I'm glad that Eugene is with me on this one."

"Well, I guess I could side with Merida…" Eugene trailed off as he called the bet.

Hans looked at us all, absolutely bewildered. Then he shook his head.

"Whatever. You guys are crazy," he said with a disbelieving grin. "All right, then. Who's gonna go up against this hand!" He shoved all his chips in the middle. "All in, kids!"

Those still in the hand squawked at him, shaking their heads and folding at once. Hans laughed, victorious, and pulled the pot towards him.

Kristoff dealt a new hand, and I let my mind wander over to Elsa's image again, smiling pleasantly to myself.

* * *

When I got home that night, I was slightly tipsy. My new group ended up playing a drinking game while watching a marathon of the Twilight Zone. I ended up joining in for the hell of it but I regretted it at once when I finished my first bottle of beer. I stopped after the second, so I wouldn't hate myself in the morning for it. I was thankful they didn't play strip poker, but it was certainly brought up by Eugene and seconded by a feisty Merida. The rest of us decided against it, thus the drinking game began.

The winner of the 120 bucks was Rapunzel and her awesome poker skills. She was sweet, however, and offered to take all of us out to Arendelle Cove's best seafood restaurant next weekend. So that was something worth looking forward to.

I was thankful my parents were asleep. I would have my ass handed to me if they caught be with the tiniest bit of alcohol on my breath. I stumbled up to my bed and flopped down onto it, falling asleep instantly.

I woke up late the next morning. I took an aspirin to calm my aching head, changed into fresh clothes, and walked downstairs. My folks were gone and had left me a note on the kitchen counter telling me they won't be back home until later that night. They also left fifty bucks, telling me not to spend it all at once.

Smiling, I slipped the money into my pocket, grabbed my key and phone and shoved them into my bag, heading outside into the warm summer afternoon. I walked around the shops and purchased a notepad and some new pencils. I also bought myself a new shirt that had the Arendelle Cove logo on it. When the afternoon rolled around, I grabbed some lunch at a burger shack and proceeded towards my special cove, hoping that Elsa would be there. I wanted some company that wouldn't get loud and rowdy when all I wanted to do was go to bed.

When I arrived at my cove, the water was calm and empty. I frowned and felt my heart drop a little. Maybe I had imagined her to cure my insanity… or maybe it was all ridiculous dream…

In spite of my growing doubt, I sat down anyway to eat my lunch, picking at the greasy fries and sipping my Coke. Then I heard the splashing again. I lifted my head, hope spreading through my body like a warm flame.

There she was, smiling with what looked like relief.

"You actually showed up!" I blurted stupidly. "Wait, I mean… uh—" I coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of my neck. "Hi."

"Hello," she said, grinning at my idiocy.

We stared at one another for a few long, awkward seconds. I bit my lip and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I stood up and hit my lunch so seagulls wouldn't have a feast. I picked my bag off the ground and gestured to Elsa to meet me over on the rocks. I sat on a rock that could support me easily. The pile was resting just above the water so Elsa could rest her arms on the stones beneath mine.

She looked up into my face and, for the first time, I saw her up close. Her eyes were squinted with fascination, examining the details of my features. I could count the freckles dotting her nose but I knew they were no match for the amount I had on my body. Her hair was shining in the sun, glistening like the waves she lived amongst.

"So, uh… I wanted to ask you a couple of questions," I said nervously, taking out a notepad from my bag. "If you don't mind, of course."

"Such as?" she said, still peering into my face.

"Uh… what do mermaids eat?" I said, cringing at the question.

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "What do we eat?" she repeated.

"Well, yeah… I mean, you guys are part fish and eating them would be cannibalism, right?"

"My people don't eat fish," she said, shaking her head. "We eat various things such as seaweed and the occasional type of algae. On very _special_ occasions, we will eat fish but that's not often."

I wrote that down, sticking my tongue out with concentration. "I see… that's… really interesting."

Elsa smiled. "I'm so glad you find it that way."

"Here's another one: do you have any siblings?"

"Yes but I don't know any of them. I'm the only daughter, considering that my siblings moved on to create new clans."

I paused, my hand hovering over my notepad. I flushed at the question that shot through my head. Clearing my throat and tapping the end of my pencil on the paper, I made a total shot in the dark.

"How do you guys, like, mate?" I asked.

"It's a simple process," she said, as if I was speaking of the weather.

Oh, jeez, so their idea of mating was different and not ridiculously complicated.

"The female produces her eggs and the male fertilizes them," she said with a tiny shrug.

"Huh… so like how fish mate?" I said, writing that down.

"Exactly."

"That's… odd," I said. "For lack of a better term, I mean. But I guess you're only half human so the mating process wouldn't exactly be the same to you that it does to us. So much for a woman's fantasy. Some hope to be rescued by a hulking merman and fall in love."

Elsa snorted. "That's really dumb."

"Isn't it?" I laughed.

Then she paused. "Wait, how do you know how fish mate?"

"My parents have studied the mating activities of several different marine creatures," I explained. "So, naturally, I end up learning about it, too." I paused and wondered how I could phrase my next question. "Do you guys fall in love with your mate?"

"Oh, yes," Elsa nodded. "We have that capability."

"That's good. So at least your have that mind set to understand what family and affection is," I smiled. "But without the worry of the complete attraction to the opposite sex."

"Yeah, some do." She blushed. "But I haven't found that someone yet…"

I waited for her to continue on but she didn't. I didn't bring it up, in case it was a sensitive topic for her.

We dropped the questions idea and started to talk about ourselves. I found that her favorite color was gold because it was the color the sun cast upon her home when it was going down and the color that she would notice human marveled most. I told her that my favorite color was pink because kittens had pink noses and because it was the color people became when they got flustered. We talked about _colors_, of all things, for hours until the sun started to go down.

I knew I had to get home but I promised to return to her tomorrow. She agreed to visit, too, and I walked home positively elated.

* * *

"So, in Atlantis, do you ever need to drink?" I pondered.

We were by the rocks again, my notepad in my hand and I had returned to the questions. It had been three days since our last meeting and we had been getting together ever since. I had asked questions galore, filling my notebook with numerous pieces of information Elsa had to give me. I noted the tiniest quirks she had. For example, when she got nervous or sad, she would hug her arms to her chest and avoid eye contact. When she laughed, her hand would drift up to her mouth, press up against her lips, and her freckles would scrunch.

Now, I was starting to get used to talking with her easily. At first, our questions were formal but, now, they were kind of goofy. And my newest question was about Atlantis. For half a second, Elsa stared at me before I grinned goofily.

She started to laugh. "Atlantis is a myth."

"Ooh, no. Mm-mm," I said, shaking my head. "That's what you _want_ me to think. Elsa, I'm talking to a creature I thought was a fairy tale and you're trying to tell me that Atlantis is a myth? I don't think so."

Elsa laughed harder, running a hand through her hair. "Believe me, Anna. I don't live in Atlantis."

"Mmmm, sure, okay," I teased, raising a brow. "I'll believe you. Okay, next question: what happens to a mermaid when they pass away?"

"Um… we become sea foam," she replied.

"Sea foam?" I wrote it down. "Really? How?"

"It's kind of a gross process," she said with a grimace.

"Fair enough," I nodded. "How about: where do you live?" She seemed reluctant to answer so I rephrased it. "I get that you want to keep your race a secret, and I won't ever tell anyone about you, so let me put it this way: what's your home like? Is it an underwater village or a strong kingdom _such as _Atlantis?"

"It's not Atlantis but it's similar to what you've heard," she said.

Suddenly, her hand reached up and slipped my sandal off my foot. She examined it, just as she did my face. That same fascination etched in her features that made my heart skip a beat. Then she rested the sandal beside my bag and took my foot in her hand instead.

I almost flinched as her silky skin touched each toe. She seemed wistful and a hint of longing was in her eyes.

Over a _foot_?

"Oh— oh yeah?" I gulped, trying to focus on my questions. "So, streets paved with gold?"

"No, not quite," she mumbled, still holding my stupid foot. "We have a small kingdom that is ruled by my father. And I'm stuck in line for the throne…"

"You're a queen?" I gasped. "That's so cool!"

"I'd rather be disowned," she said, glancing up at me.

"Why?"

"It romanticizes isolation," she explained. "I like talking to people but all my life… I've been treated different. When I was little, I wasn't allowed to leave the castle without ten guards flanking me."

"So there _is_ a castle!" I cried, writing down everything she had said. "That's _really_ cool…" I caught the bitter expression she wore and I blinked. "I guess I know how you feel, Elsa. I've spent _my_ life on vacation. Hoping from place to place."

"At least you get to travel," she said. "My biggest dream is to be like you—" She ran a pale finger along the bottom of my foot and a shiver shot up my body. "A human."

"But why?"

"You have so much freedom. Legs that can carry you all over the world," she said.

"It's not so great. Really, we're a pretty crappy species. We create wars and pollute your home and hate each other depending on the person's skin color or sexuality or religion," I said. "We're not perfect and _I_ would prefer to be a mermaid."

"I just want to dance," she confided shyly.

"Dance?"

She nodded. "I watch humans dance on the beach during music nights. I would love to try that." She wiggled one of my toes. "I would love to have one of these one day."

"Is there a way that can happen?"

"I don't know. Papa doesn't like it when I ask."

I wrote some of this down, thinking hard. I tapped my pencil on my chin and observed her kindly, a small smile on my face. Elsa looked up at me again and met my gaze, returning the smile.

"Well, if I find a way, then I'll let you know," I assured her.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed.

"Do your people have parties?"

That was intentionally ridiculous question. She had gotten so downcast and I wanted to cheer her up. She giggled— success!— and nodded.

"If you count summer celebrations, then yes," she said.

"Ooh, a summer celebration? What's that?"

"It's when our waters get warmer and we marvel at the growth of our race," she told me, watching as I wrote the information down. "That's the day we eat fish. It's a symbol of our link, ironically, to the sea life. We get together with clans from all over the ocean and join for one night. Some of us go to other clans and others find their mate."

"Fascinating," I muttered. "We don't have that up on the surface…"

"I didn't think so. But I'd like to show you one day."

For some reason, that simple offer made me blush and made my heart sink. I realized that I had limited time with Elsa. For all I knew, I would be leaving tomorrow and never see her again.

No, I wasn't going to be negative again. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and locked it away in my vault of worries. Instead, I continued to talk with Elsa, leaving the questions about her life as a mermaid behind, since she didn't like it, and switched to personal questions.

"If you're not offended, might I ask how old you are?" I asked, slipping my notepad back into my bag.

"Age is not considered in my race and doesn't matter to us," she said, finally letting go of my foot. "But considering the years I've been alive… eighteen."

"Me too!" I said with a silly grin. "Do you guys have schools?"

She nodded. "We're taught about our culture and our people's history. None of us know how we came to be but legend has it of some all knowing force creating us to protect the ocean. Otherwise, we don't question our existence."

"Funny because that's all we humans do," I laughed.

"We learn of humans, too," she said, poking me in the knee. "It's very little knowledge but we know enough."

"Such as?"

"You destroy a lot, as you pointed out."

"Yeah we're notorious for that."

"But not kind people like you. You're one of the rare ones, aren't you?" She touched my foot again and I bit my lip. "You're kind to all beings, no matter what they are."

"I… I suppose I am," I said softly, watching as she rubbed my heel with the palm of her hand. "What in the world are you doing?"

"I'm sorry!" she said, letting go. "I'm just so interested in feet and legs and… I've never gotten to touch one before." She hugged her arms to her chest. "I didn't realize it was bothering you."

Great, Anna. You made her feel bad.

"No, it's okay," I said. "It's not bothering me… I'm sorry if I came off that way." I lamely offered her my foot again. "You can keep doing what you were doing… I don't mind. It feels nice, actually."

Wait, what?

I flushed and covered my face with my hands as Elsa giggled, sliding her hand over my innocent little foot again. I peeked at her from behind my fingers and viewed her growing smile as she kept running fingers over my skin.

What is _wrong_ with me? I was so embarrassed I could hardly speak now. And all Elsa did was touch my god-forsaken foot.

We fell into a pleasant silence, the sounds of the crashing waves the only thing keeping me grounded. I lowered my hands and rested them in my lap and looked out into the sea. The only indication that Elsa was still with me was the feel of her hand on my foot.

I felt a smile tug at my lips and I looked down at the mystical creature beneath me, her tail gliding behind her in the water. For the first time, I felt a closeness to someone and I felt like I really had a friend in the world. Sure my new group was nice but Elsa was someone I wanted to see a lot. Talk to, get to know, and I didn't care that she was different. These past couple of days learning about her as a person, not just a mermaid, were amazing.

I knew this was the start of a wonderful new friendship and I was going to come back for as long as I was here.

* * *

**Elsa is a little OOC, I know but she's a different kind of Elsa. The warm, kind, and cute side of her anyway.**

**Anna and Elsa are going to be amazing (girl)friends! Haha!**

**Do leave reviews but no hate, please! Follow Frozest on Tumblr and follow me on Tumblr! My ask box is open!**

**See you next time!**


	3. Something In Common

**So Elsa and Anna are getting to know one another. Elsa wants to be human and Anna is learning about her race. What's to happen next?**

**If you guys wanna submit stuff to my Tumblr, my submit box is also open! Art for this story would be beautiful.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

"Aren't you going to come in?" Elsa asked me.

I looked up from my sketch pad, half-way finished with the shading of Elsa's hair. I had spent the last hour drawing her likeness, drinking in ever detail and getting it just right. I gave her eyes a pleasant shine but I was unable to capture the true beauty behind them.

She was staring at me intently, floating in the water, her tail swishing behind her to keep her balanced. I was in my swimming clothes, a bikini top and girl's swimming trunks, sitting on top of my usual rocks.

"I wasn't planning on it," I said with a light shrug. "I mean, I changed into these so I wouldn't get my street clothes wet."

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "The water is awfully nice."

"I'll think about it," I smiled. "But I'd like to finish my drawing first."

"May I see it?"

I twisted my book around and showed her. She swam closer and examined it, her eyes widening and a smile blessing her features.

"Oh, Anna, it's so pretty," she breathed.

"Thank you," I said. "But it's nothing compared to the real thing."

She flushed and glanced away from the picture, suddenly becoming incredibly shy. I giggled and returned to my sketch, occasionally glancing up at her as she relaxed in the water, floating on her back.

I've been in Arendelle Cove for three weeks now, since my arrival, and I've spent almost every single afternoon with Elsa. Sometimes, we would just sit and talk. Other times, I would draw her or observe her as she swam around. Once she asked for a bite of my sandwich and I willingly allowed her one. When she ate it, she hummed pleasantly and said it was one of the best things she ever tasted.

Whenever I showed something new to Elsa, she would get the most adorable expression of childlike wonderment on her face. I told her how a _pencil_ worked and she acted as if it was the coolest thing in the universe. It was so cute though, so I couldn't stop. I made it my daily goal to make that look of excitement appear.

As I continued my sketch, she rested her arms on the rocks below me and watched me draw.

"How did you get that good?" she said.

"I'm self taught," I said. "When I was on a boat for a year without contact with the outside world, I started to teach myself how to draw. It was the thing that kept me sane."

"You were on a boat for a year?" Elsa gaped.

I laughed. "Yup. It was the longest year of my life. I was thirteen and I called this tiny cabin home for the entire trip. I went on deck, of course, but only to find the grey sky and deathly cold water… we were in the Atlantic Ocean at the time, winter time too, but we had yet to go into the Arctic. I went there when I was fifteen."

"Arctic?" she inclined her head, blinking with confusion.

"Yeah, y'know the places with snow?"

"What's snow?"

"What… you don't know what snow is?"

She shook her head.

Now that I think about it, my total shock was a little uncalled for. I mean, the girl hadn't been outside the ocean for eighteen years so of course she wasn't going to know what snow was. Frozen water that falls from the sky!? That would sound foreign to me too if I were a mermaid.

"Should I know what it is?" she said.

"No… no it's no big deal," I said, giving her a grin. "You'll live without it."

Some drive in me, however, wanted me to drag her out of the ocean and drive her up to Alaska and let her experience the wonders of the snowfall. Something in the back of my mind told me she would love it.

I wanted nothing more than to show her the fantastical things that my world had to offer. How terrible it must be to know nothing but water all your life. And all she wanted was to experience it all, with the painful knowledge that it was impossible.

Poor Elsa…

"Anyway," I said, trying to change the topic. "Yeah, I'm self taught. I studied the ship hands and drew their expressions…" I flipped through some of my pages and found the picture I was talking about. I showed them to Elsa and she giggled.

"You're very good," she complimented.

"I'm all right," I shrugged. "I could be better."

"You have a lot of talents… you can sing, too, can't you?" she said.

I flipped the book back to my Elsa sketch. "I told you, Elsa, I can only sing a little."

"But you sing well!" she protested. "I heard you sing and play that little instrument."

"What, my ukulele?"

She nodded. "I'd love to sing with you sometime… I can sing, too."

"I bet you can!" I grinned. "You look like a natural born singer. You know what, I'll bring my ukulele tomorrow and we can sing to our hearts content together."

"Sounds like fun," she beamed.

"Now hold still… I want to see how the light reflects from this angle," I said, biting my lip as I shaded her hair.

* * *

I returned home about two hours later, my parents were at the dining table, talking about something I wasn't present for. They looked up from their paperwork and smiled at me.

"Hiya," I greeted, closing the door behind me. "What'd I miss? Is dinner ready yet?"

"I thought you were going out with your friends tonight," Mom reminded me.

"Oh, right," I said. "Punzie is taking us out with her poker winnings… yeah, I'll go get ready."

"Where do you go all day long, Anna? It's like you forget yourself when you come home," Dad said, raising a brow. "In a daze and not paying attention to things around you."

"I've just met someone," I said. "She's a very special friend…" I trailed off.

Aaaaaand _that_ was the closest I was ever going to get to telling them about Elsa. I had been trying my hardest to bring her up but my folks kept pestering me about my location in the afternoon.

"A girlfriend?" Mom inquired.

"_No_," I said forcefully.

But boy, did I like her.

"Jeez, just 'cause I hang out with a girl doesn't automatically make her my girlfriend," I said, shaking my head. "Besides, I don't think she swings that way."

That, and the fact that she's an entirely different species.

"That's unfortunate," Dad chuckled. "She doesn't know what's she's missing!"

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," I rolled my eyes, walking up the stairs to change.

I was picked up from my house by Kristoff and we drove to the seafood place. It was settled on the Arendelle Docks— similar to that really famous Santa Monica Pier but waaaaaay smaller. We were seated in a corner booth and were brought glasses of water. I was scrunched between Rapunzel and Merida, the both of them just as chatty as I was. The three boys were talking about the recent baseball game that was playing on the big screen in the restaurant and us girls were talking about the upcoming Fourth of July celebration next month.

"I hope I'm gonna be here for it," I said. "My parents haven't been packing and our house is getting cluttered with some of their research so I might be here longer than I expected."

"D'you think the whole summer?" Merida asked.

"Maybe," I said with a hopeful grin. "We're having a guest over tomorrow from the science facility and I have to be there. I think Dad is finally getting a _job_."

Rapunzel laughed. "We'll keep our fingers crossed for you!" She gave me the thumbs up. "You're a really cool person, Anna. Hanging out with you is fun."

"Really?"

"Of course," Merida chimed.

"We'd love to get to know you better," Rapunzel added.

I felt my self-doubt lift off my shoulders as pure sincerity echoed from Rapunzel's words. Was I actually liked by others (besides Elsa, of course) for once in my life? Was I _making friends_?

The rest of the dinner, I couldn't stop smiling. Hans asked why I was grinning like I had just won the lottery and I told him I felt like I did. Rapunzel and Merida realized the meaning behind my words and giggled, both of them giving me side hugs. The boys glanced at each other, completely lost.

When I got home that night, the house was dark. My parents either went to bed or were in their study working on some weird diagnosis of an octopus or something science-y. I trudged up to my room and flopped down onto my sheets, staring at the ceiling.

The new town, new friends, and an unlikely discovery have been the best things in my life. I really hoped this summer would never end and I could stay here forever. I was wanted… _admired_…

Elsa and I were starting to connect a lot. Every time I showed up, she would smile like a kid on Christmas. Her eyes would sparkle and all her teeth would show, as if I was the best part of her day. And every single time I looked at that smile, my heart would flutter. The past few weeks talking to her were amazing. I would sit in my swimsuit at the water's edge and she would as close as she could to the tide just to talk.

If I wanted to sunbathe, I would sit on my rock and she would swim around the area, asking me questions about the surface world. Things like whether or not humans lived in clans, to which I would reply we had families only, not so much clans. She would laugh and say how weird the human race was.

We hardly ever came in contact with one another. Which was becoming harder and harder for me to contain. I wanted to swim out to her and— not being creepy, promise— run a hand through her platinum hair. It looked so soft when it was dried by the sun, but most likely full of sand. The only times we've ever touched was when we first met— her hand sliding into mine— and when she examined my ridiculous bare foot for so long I was convinced she had some kind of fetish. Of course, my rational side reminded me that she was simply enticed by humans and their legs and feet…

A pleasant shiver ran up my body when I thought of her examining my legs with as much fervor she did my feet. Her silky skin smooth against my calves, fingers dancing up—

"No, stop," I told myself, rolling over onto my stomach, burying my tomato red face into my pillow. "What the hell are you thinking about, Anna? Get a grip."

I didn't deserve Elsa anyway. And she was my _friend_, not something more… but I couldn't help but to hope that one day we might be.

"She's not of this world!" I shouted into the cloth and to no one in particular. "Well, she's not an _alien_… she's not human, though. Half, actually, but that's not the point." I sat up and ran a hand through my hair. "And calm down. You barely know the girl."

That wasn't entirely true. I knew a lot about her, more than I had ever known about another person. She was the first person I asked about their favorite color and what she liked to do when she was bored. Hell, I didn't even know my _parents'_ favorite colors.

And I liked her a lot. She had quickly become my best friend but I had developed the tiniest crush on her, too, in the process. A connection I hadn't experienced in a long time… a special feeling that I liked to get when she smiled. I hated myself for letting my feelings get the better of me but yearned for her to return them regardless.

I got off my bed and sat at my desk, taking out my sketch book and turning to the page Elsa's picture was on. I smiled down at it before grabbing my pencil and shading the tiniest curves in her neck and torso. Then I turned to the page just before it. A couple of days earlier, I drew her expressions, dotting her nose with freckles and making her eyes glow. I couldn't color for shit but shading— definitely. I began to run my pencil over her lashes, enhancing them and bolding them out. I made her lips thicker and her dimple more obvious.

I had flipped to the full body— erm, well to an extent since she had a, y'know, _tail_— picture when someone knocked on my door. I hastily covered it up by turning to a random page and allowed entry. Mom walked inside with some tea. Without a word, she placed it on my desk, kissed my forehead to wish me goodnight, and left. I smiled and took the tea in both hands, drinking it deeply.

Thanks, Mom.

But that was a close call… if anyone found out that I had met Elsa, there would be an immediate uproar of mermaid fanatics swarming to our cove and an uproar of the rational minded, shouting about how it was a hoax.

Then again, if she saw the picture, she would have most likely assumed it was for fun.

Whatever. What's done is done, right?

I changed into my pajamas and drew for another hour until the digital clock in my room displayed that it was half past twelve. Then I got up and sunk into my covers, reminding myself to grab my ukulele in the morning.

* * *

"Now I'm still a bit rusty," I told Elsa, tuning my little instrument.

"That's fine," she said placidly.

It was a cloudy day, the sky a perfect pearly grey and a light drizzle falling onto us. We both came regardless of the weather. I was in jean shorts and my sweatshirt I got from London. My ukulele was in my hands, my fingers delicately moving along the strings. Elsa was leaning on the rocks, gazing up at me in slight awe at the sight of the music maker.

"How does that work, exactly?" she asked.

"Oh… uh…" I knew how it worked to some degree. C'mon, Anna, make that adorable face come back! "You see, it's a little boring… but if you insist: the strings— these things— vibrate when strummed or plucked or whatever. Then it goes into the hollow body of the instrument. The sound is then amplified and projected out the hole here—" I patted the ukulele and the sound clunked around by my touch. "Did you get it?"

She cracked a smile. "Mostly. But I'll learn eventually."

"Yeah, I made it more scientific sounding that it had to be," I giggled. "Magic. Let's go with magic, huh?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, Anna."

"Well, whatever!" I teased. "Okay… so I'm just gonna play and jump in whenever you feel is good, okay?"

I started to play a cheerful, upbeat tune, tapping my foot to the tempo. I hummed for a second before I started to sing the first thing that came into my head.

"_Your hair color's great, your seashells are hot, you only talk a little_," I trailed off but Elsa added something to it.

"_And you talk a lot_," she supplied with a wink.

I giggled. "Good one! _Your home is the sea, my home is the land—_"

"_I'd give almost anything to step in that sand,_" she put in.

I paused and raked her face over with my eyes. She almost seemed guilty for saying such a thing. I reached down and swiped my thumb over her cheek, giving her a loving grin.

"Maybe one day," I whispered.

Her face flushed but she smiled back nevertheless. I resumed my playing and kept the tune upbeat so we could make a happy song.

"_We couldn't be farther apart._ But, hey," I chimed but words failed me after that.

Elsa and I looked at one another for guidance, both of us at a loss for what to sing next. I chewed my bottom lip, thinking hard. What would be the perfect add for this song?

"It's off to a good start," Elsa said. "Maybe you can write some lyrics and I'll think of some."

"Yeah, great idea," I nodded. "See, I told you I was rusty."

"You were fine!" she insisted. "You're a beautiful musician, Anna."

This time, my face flushed. I strummed on the ukulele absentmindedly, Elsa humming to each note that was played. I stared out into the ocean, getting lost in thought as I tried to make up lyrics for the song. It was good, like she said, but I knew it had so much more potential. Perhaps I could brainstorm with Rapunzel…

* * *

That night, we had dinner with a scientist that worked at the facility my parents were in contact with. I had to attend, of course, because I was the perfect daughter! I'm always willing to support my parents in hopes they get what they want. If this guy was going to help them, then I need to be by their side.

Mom made some salad and we were going to serve some chicken breasts cooked in olive oil alongside olives, tomatoes, lemons, and potatoes. I know, it's a weird description but it's actually super good. I love it a lot and I hoped the guest would, too.

Dad was a little nervous, pacing through the living room, mumbling to himself. I wondered if he was coaching himself how to engage one in small talk since we barely have any normal human contact.

I was on the couch, doodling in my sketchpad again. I decided, if they were to ask me about my pictures of Elsa, I'd say she was a character I made up. I knew it would pass for sure because they didn't believe in fairy tales. I knew that some part of me had yearned for them to be real, so that must have been the part that prevented me from freaking out over meeting a mythical creature in the first place.

There was a short knock on the door, making me raise my eyes from Elsa's face. Mom waved at Dad to answer it. He took in a deep breath, smoothing back his hair before opening up.

Standing over the threshold was a rather thin, short man, shorter than me anyway, with the biggest mustache I had ever seen. He wore glasses that were circular and practically and inch thick. He was holding himself up with such false dignity that I had an urge to sock him in the face for some reason. There was something right off the bat that I didn't like and it was as if my brain was shouting at me to run.

"Ah, yes, Duke Wessel," Dad greeted. "Do come in."

Duke? His _name_ is Duke?

I held in a snort, dropping my gaze back to my mermaid's beautiful expression. Her eyes were half lidded, almost as if she was leaning in to kiss someone and wanted to look at their face before she entrapped them in her sweet—

"Anna," Mom hissed. "Be polite."

I looked up from the book to find my Mom gesturing at me to say hello. I nodded with understanding and closed my sketch pad, placing it down on the coffee table. I strode over to Duke and held out my hand.

"Hello, sir," I chimed. "I'm Anna."

He sized me up, pursed his lips, and made a small noise before taking my hand in his. Our shake was short and formal, nothing I wouldn't expect from a man like him.

"Yes, I've heard about you," he said gruffly. "You wish to be a marine biologist, too, young lady?"

"Oh, well, not really," I said with a tiny shake of my head. "I haven't really given an occupation much thought since I've been traveling for so long."

"I see. Do you think you would ever want to follow in your parents' footsteps?"

"Perhaps. Maybe a teacher, though. I love kids and teaching them would be a lot of fun," I admitted.

That wasn't a lie, either. I always wanted to give people the education I was deprived of. I knew I would learn things on the way. But that was a dream that would be hard to reach since I couldn't snag a permanent home and town to attend a college in.

"Good, good," he nodded with approval. "That sounds like a good occupation for someone like you. You look like a caretaker."

"Thank… thank you?" I said, unsure what to make of him.

"Now, David, do tell me how your research is going," Duke said, turning to my father.

"Oh, very good," Dad said, guiding him over to the table. "Faye and I were just discussing the migration of the dolphins and we believe…"

And he lost me. Dad started going on and on about the migration patterns, Mom chiming in every so often from the kitchen, while I sat at the table with them to pretend to be engaged in their conversation. Whenever Dad would laugh, I would snigger under my breath as if I had heard whatever he was talking about.

Once dinner was served, the conversation fell flat, the four of us eating our meals silently. When our plates were almost empty, Duke started to talk through his mustache again about the available jobs at his workplace. Mom and Dad then asked him about his own research, which was when his eyes gleamed and a smile curled across his lips.

"Have you heard of the Arendelle Cove legend?" he questioned.

"The one about the mermaid?" Mom said and Duke nodded. I nearly dropped my fork onto my plate. "Yes, I've heard all about it from Jean at the facility. It's a ridiculous myth—"

"Myth? Faye, no… the mermaid is very real," Duke said ominously.

I bit my lip and strained my ears, keeping my eyes glued to my plate. Mom and Dad stopped eating and looked at Duke as if he had grown three more eyes.

"Surely you're joking," Dad said slowly.

"I've seen it with my own eyes, David," Duke insisted. "She's always drifting around the coast line and I've been noticing that she's been coming around a lot more often."

I felt my knees tremble and I resisted the urge to blurt out that the legend was a lie to protect Elsa. But I knew that if I got angry about it, they would question my behavior and I could blow her cover.

"Really, it's just a children's tale," Dad chastised.

"I've been following their patterns for far too long," Duke said seriously. "This is the most frequent the mermaid has ever gotten—"

"It could be a dolphin," I let out before I could stop myself.

I raised my glance from my plate and looked at Duke. He was staring at me through his heavy eyebrows, his eyes burning into my skin with such a glare that the sun looked like it had been extinguished and hit with a powerful snowstorm.

"I mean… mermaids aren't real," I squeaked out.

"It _could_ be a dolphin," Mom agreed, giving my knee and supportive squeeze. "Think about it, really. Mermaids have been documented but never proven. They're as fake as witches."

Hell, after meeting Elsa I could believe that anything was real.

"Believe what you want to believe," Duke said darkly. "But I plan on proving it to the world one day…"

I swallowed hard and prayed that day would never come.

* * *

"Hey, Anna."

"Yeah?"

"I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Have you found your mate yet?"

"Wha… what?"

I glanced down at her and met her icy blue eyes. She was staring at me intently, almost as if she was trying to figure me out. I knit my brows together.

"On the surface, we don't find a mate, exactly," I explained. "We fall in love with the person first—"

"We do, too," she told me.

"Right, but we don't fall in love because of mating," I went on. "We fall in love before we even have the idea of 'mating' and— well, no, nowadays that's sometimes a total lie. How about this: _I_ fall in love with someone because they have a brilliant personality, a vast imagination, and well… I'm a total romantic." I sighed wistfully. "But it doesn't matter. The humans have a mating process that is both physical and emotional. The rational ones fall in love before they mate."

"I see…" Elsa seemed genuinely fascinated with humans doing the dirty apparently. I really did not want to talk about it further and she sensed that. Instead, she returned to her original question. "But have you found yours?"

It had been three days since Duke's visit and I had been fighting with myself to tell Elsa about his recent findings of her constant appearances. I knew that it was all because of me coming to visit her every day. But I couldn't help myself. I was being downright selfish and my entire stay here was hanging onto the fact I was seeing her.

My best friend.

"We don't call them mates, Elsa," I said. "We call them boyfriends or girlfriends. Husbands or wives…"

"Oh. But have—"

"No, I haven't," I chuckled. "I've had some in mind… two to be exact. One in New York and one in Japan. But I've been without a girlfriend for a long time."

Her eyes widened. "You like girls?"

It didn't sound like a criticism at all. Actually, she sounded a little pleased, which made my hopes lift further than they should have.

Anna, chill! Just _friends_.

"Yeah, I do," I confirmed. "I've liked them for a while. They've always seemed easier than boys, y'know?" I laughed. "Have you found your mate yet?"

She shook her head. "No… no one in my clan has captured my interest."

"You make it sound so formal!" I said, poking her in the shoulder. "Elsa, you're such downer sometimes."

"Well, not many in my clan are like me," she said plainly.

"Everyone's unique."

She shook her head at me. "No, you don't understand. I'm like you."

"Wait, you like girls?"

She nodded.

My heart could have soared out of my chest, torn a hole through it because of how hard it was beating. Was that an invite? Was she suggesting—?

Whoa, whoa. How long have I known her? Four weeks? Four and a half? Maybe I've developed a crush on her but…

"Oh… great," I managed to say.

She giggled. "We have a lot more in common than we thought, huh?"

Those were words that dragged my heart down and shoved it back in my chest, sewing the hole up without putting me under. So we just had the fact of being attracted to girls in common?

F_a_n_t_a_s_t_i_c.

"So you haven't found a mate yet?" I said, ignoring my saddened mindset.

"Not yet… but mermaids like me can't mate if we like girls," she said, her face falling. "That's why I want to be like you. To be a human and see what it's really like without being judged so hard. It's not normal where I live and it's very rare to be like us..."

"The world isn't perfect up here, Elsa," I reminded her. "People do judge for such thoughts."

"But I don't care because some of you consider it normality…" She smiled. "Like you. You don't care what other people think, do you?"

I laughed. "Well, I'm being thought of, right? If they don't like me, they can get my image out of my head and leave me alone!"

We both started cracking up.

"I like you a lot, Anna," Elsa said softly. "I wish I could be with you all the time."

"Maybe one day," I echoed my words from a while back. "Then you can be…"

I really hoped that one day, my words would become true.

* * *

**So I'm doing my best not to rush the **_**LOVE**_**. Anna is developing feelings but she's not in love with Elsa (yet). They've known each other for four and a half weeks, the story started mid-May so they're like early-June by now. It seems a bit fast, I know, but I'm making it a shortish story.**

**Duke Wessel is such an original name, you guys. Really.**

**And Secretly Geek's song was partially featured in this chapter, just FYI.**

**PS: when something is written l_i_k_e _t_h_i_s_, it's meant to sound sarcastic :3**

**Make sure you follow me on Tumblr (athpluver) and Secretly Geek (Frozest)!**

**See you next time!**


	4. Giving Gifts

**Sorry I've been a while. I was busy and I have essays to write and all that fun stuff. But let me just say, holy cow I don't think I've ever gotten this many reviews/favs/follows on a story with **_**three**_** chapters. I know that it's partly because I update frequently but you guys have no idea how happy I get when I see a review.**

**It makes me write more just to see your reactions.**

**So Anna had a run-in with Duke Wessel (brilliantly original, I know) but has yet to tell Elsa of his drive to find her. Meanwhile, Anna found out that Elsa likes girls, too, and is crushing very hard on the oblivious mermaid.**

**Ask and prompt boxes are open on my Tumblr (athpluver) and do make sure to follow Frozest on Tumblr, too.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

I had been invited over to hang out with my new group again. We were going to have yet another pizza party but instead of poker, we were going to play some video games. I walked to Eugene's house and opened the unlocked door, only to find myself in the midst of a rather odd and frightening situation. Rapunzel was hovering over Merida, a brush in one hand and a straightener in the other. Her eyes were wide and crazy, Merida sinking deeper into the couch cushions with fear written all over her face.

The spunky brunette was basically straddling Merida, sitting on top of her legs with her knees on either side of Merida's hips. They were both a little red in the face and a few things had been knocked over so I assumed Merida had tried to run and Rapunzel had chased after her.

_What_ was going on?

"Don't move an inch," Rapunzel growled darkly to the fiery redhead. "I'm going to tame that mane of yours if it's the last thing I do."

"…Ah…" Merida let out, her eyes darting around for some means of escape. They locked on me and she mouthed for help.

"Hiya, Rapunzel," I tried, gaining the brunette's attention. "What's uh… what's going on."

"I've been trying for three years straight to rid Merida's hair of all the kinks and tangles and knots that are currently swarming inside of it," Rapunzel told me. Then she whispered hoarsely, "It's a monstrosity."

"Oi!" Merida shouted. "I resent that!"

"Okay, well… maybe we should just calm down," I said, cautiously moving forward. "Punzie, let's give it a rest."

She pouted. "But I finally have her pinned down!"

"That's what she said!" shouted Hans and Eugene from upstairs, followed by a snort from Kristoff.

"Shaddup, you pigs!" Merida bellowed. "Leave that back in middle school!"

"Please, Rapunzel… not while I'm here," I said with a small grin. "Once I leave, you can chase Merida and her hair to your heart's content."

"Wait, what!?" cried Merida.

Reluctantly, Rapunzel agreed with a grunt and clambered off the couch. She tossed her 'weapons' onto the coffee table, dusting her hands off like she had just taken out the garbage. Merida rose up from the couch slowly, shaking her head at me, her expression one of thanks mixed with betrayal.

"She's a nut job," she said plainly.

"You would be too, Anna, if you had to stare at that lion's mane for three years straight," Rapunzel countered, glowering in my direction.

"I'm staying out of this one," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "What game are we playing?"

"Super Smash Bros," Rapunzel replied, the three of us walking up the stairs. "Brawl, not Melee."

"Unfortunately because your boyfriend doesn't know the definition of a classic," Merida said with a snide grin.

"Hush," Rapunzel chastised. Then to me she said, "It's the usual set-up. Pizza and snacks on the back table, the television will be broadcasting the game in-progress, and the boys will be loud."

"Such a sophisticated get up," I quipped.

"You know it," Merida grinned.

We entered the gaming room where the three boys were, the Wii menu displayed on the TV. Pizza was steaming on the table and I was drawn to it. I haven't eaten since my time on the beach with Elsa. She had finally gotten me in the water and we had a full on splash-war which rendered me hungrier than I thought I would get. Grabbing two slices, I strode around the room before settling myself in a recliner to watch them play. Rapunzel sat in the recliner beside mine with her own slices while Merida sat on the floor next to Kristoff, Hans and Eugene making themselves comfortable on the couch.

Eugene pressed the game's slot and entered the main menu. I watched as they selected their characters, my teeth sinking into the chest goodness that was Dominos. Merida chose the ever so brilliant Pit and his mighty bow and arrow. Hans decided with Captain Falcon, the famous Falcon Punch at his disposal. Eugene took Mario— a classic, of course. And Kristoff chose Donkey Kong who's big lumbering punches could send anyone flying.

They began the game— playing with five lives each— and picked out the Legend of Zelda Bridge of Eldin location. As we watched, Rapunzel turned to me and whispered surreptitiously.

"Anything new on your little mermaid thing?"

I shook my head. "No… but I met a really weird guy, a colleague of my parents', last week who was ballistic about them. His name was, uh… Duke Wessel."

"Oh, you met him? He's the town asshole," Rapunzel giggled. "He'll talk to anyone he meets about mermaids, even if they tune him out. He's published so many crackpot articles that people stopped caring about the mermaid legend. It's like he ruined it for them, y'know?"

"So everyone knows that he's obsessed?"

"Pretty much."

"So you… so you believe in mermaids, too?" I said, trying to lower my voice even more so Hans wouldn't hear.

She nodded. "I believe in almost anything. I mean, to a certain extent of course. But there has to be magic in the world. Like, where did the mermaids come from and who documented the first one. Arendelle Cove has been off the map for so long for a reason…" Her green eyes flickered over to the four as they began to shout at one another over why Eugene appeared to be cheating.

"Go on," I urged.

Her eyes fell on me. "Because Duke Wessel's findings haven't been entirely false."

"How do you mean?"

Rapunzel almost seemed hesitant. "Arendelle Cove is a small town with little tourist attraction accept the beach. We don't rely on their coming to keep us afloat so we don't care if tourists come or not. In fact, we all rather like the peaceful summers and _clean_ beaches." She leaned a little closer, beckoning me to do the same. "So if people start finding out that our beaches have _real_ mermaids… well, you can guess what will happen."

"Tourist Armageddon," I supplied with a smirk.

She giggled again. "Exactly. What's worse, people will try to catch the poor things. Set them on display in some shit aquarium, feeding them scraps of chum while people flash photos…"

I felt color drain from my cheeks as the thought of Elsa pressed against a tiny glass tank with a look of pure misery on her face, tourists from all over taking pictures of her invaded my mind's eye. A roar of protectiveness surged through me and I vowed to never let anyone find out about her.

"So we all just turn our heads and say that Duke's findings are fake?" I summed up. "Otherwise, Arendelle Cove will be the next Palm Springs or Miami Beach."

"You got it," Rapunzel said. "So I don't think you're crazy for believing… I just want you to be careful what you do or say around outsiders."

"Technically I'm an outsider," I pointed out.

"Yeah but you're trustworthy," she winked. "You don't seem like the kind of person to rat out a mermaid if you've ever seen one."

I thought about the piles of drawings and notes I had in my room of my pretty mermaid Elsa, my stomach churning unpleasantly. If anyone found them…

No, they couldn't. They were hidden in a drawer in my desk, tucked away amongst pencils and rulers and other stuff that helped me in my artwork but otherwise looked like a mess. Nobody in their right mind would want to raid through my room. It would just become ten times messier from when you started looking.

I leaned back in my seat to continue watching the progress of the game. Kristoff had lost, his head in his hands with shame while Merida, Hans, and Eugene fought on. Merida was yelling out quite a few creative swears, Hans gritting his teeth as his fingers worked the controller, and Eugene making Mario punch every which way, his eyes lidded with clear disinterest. Hans was actually winning the game but Merida was proving to be a ferocious fighter, Pit smacking Captain Falcon around with his bow.

"Merida, fucking knock it off!" Hans roared, before jumping his character away and slamming Merida down with a Falcon Kick. "You're such a cheater."

"Cheater!?" Merida cried. "Awh, you're gonna pay for that!"

And she wasn't lying. She gained access to the Smash Ball and sent Captain Falcon and Mario flying through the air when Pit called for his reinforcements. My eyes landed on Rapunzel again, who was idly eating her pizza. I cleared my throat and caught her attention.

"Can I ask you a favor?" I said.

"Sure," she nodded.

"I've been trying to write this song, you see… and I'm having some trouble with lyrics. I managed to write a couple of things down." I reached into my pocket and fished out a folded piece of paper that Elsa and I spent this afternoon over after our water fight, trying to think of more things to put down. "Here, take a look."

I handed it to Rapunzel and she took it, her eyes skimming over the lyrics. She scrunched up her eyebrows in concentration as she read, tongue in between her teeth.

"Pretty good start," she complimented. "What are you trying to go for here, exactly?"

"Well, we— duh, I mean _I_ got stuck when I finished 'going home alone, I'd rather walk the plank.'"

"Are you writing about a mermaid?"

I flushed. "It's a romantic idea!"

She giggled. "Just teasing. Anyway, maybe you can add things that make you similar…"

I bit my lip and thought about it. Perhaps Elsa and I could write about how she doesn't like being the future queen and I don't like traveling around and being lonely. I nodded once and got my paper back before slipping it into my pocket once again. My attention returned to the fight and Eugene's Mario had been tossed away. He was grumbling in his seat, arms crossed and glaring at the television screen.

Then with a powerful Falcon Punch, Pit was sent flying off screen and Hans had won the round. Merida shouted out a curse and threw her Wii controller at Hans' head, which he ducked as he grinned with triumph.

"My turn!" Rapunzel said, getting up from the recliner and tapping Kristoff out, claiming his GameCube remote for her own. Kristoff lumbered over and sank into the recliner, smiling crookedly at me.

"I lost," he said weakly.

"I'm sure that puts a damper on your day," I teased.

"I don't know if I could go on living," he countered.

Rapunzel chose Zelda as her fighter and then the game began, playing in the Animal Crossing field Smash Town. That round was won by Merida this time, Hans the loser. I tapped Hans out and plopped down in his seat, choosing Kirby to be my character.

"That's such an Anna character," Kristoff laughed.

"You haven't seen me play as Kirby before, Bjorgman," I snapped at him.

However, I ate those words when I lost miserably with Rapunzel claiming victory. Kristoff tapped me out, chortling, and I sunk into my recliner again, popping open a soda that Hans handed to me.

* * *

I was sitting in the sand, sketchbook in one hand and a pencil in the other. My thumb was gently smoothing out the curves in Elsa's body— I swear I'm not being pervy— to give them the perfect shade and figure. I was alone, however. Elsa had yet to show up and I was starting to believe she finally realized how big of a loser I was. I mean, looking forward to seeing one person each and every day was something most normal beings would be creeped out about.

Against my better judgement, I was actually finding it very hard to get Elsa out of my head. I knew full well that Elsa would never be a part of my world and I could never be part of hers. I would say star-crossed lovers but we weren't in love so… yeah. But it was as if the universe was playing with me and my emotions; forcing me to dream about her every night and wish to see her every day.

My eyes would raise from my paper whenever I heard distant splashing, my heart jumping at the thought I was about to see Elsa smiling at me. But every time such things were heard, Elsa would be nowhere in sight. I would sigh and return to my work with a frown.

It was getting later and I found myself feeling heartbroken. Yes, Elsa most likely left me alone. Just like all the other friends I've made over the years for a short period of time. Rapunzel and the others would be—

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Elsa's voice shouted from the water.

My head shot up from my paper to find her bobbing near the tide, smiling sheepishly.

"My father kept me in for longer that I thought he would… Anna, I'm really sorry," she said, ducking her head in apology.

I put down my sketchbook and pencil, walking over to the water's edge.

"It's okay," I said, kneeling down. "But I'm not gonna lie, I was a little concerned that you weren't coming anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Never mind… it's nothing," I said. "Just my petty selfish tendencies…"

"Okay… but if you ever need to talk about it, I will _always_ be here for you," Elsa informed me with a tender smile.

I blushed at the sight of her against my will. _God_, she was pretty without even trying. How does someone wrap up being adorable and awkward and drop dead _sexy_ all at once? She wasn't even _being_ sexy but she certainly looked it with the salt water glistening off her skin and her hair swept back—

_Anna_! Control yourself.

I was more attracted to Elsa than I liked to admit and I wondered what she thought of me. Elsa was fiddling with something behind her back, becoming a little shy.

"I was also late because I was getting something for you," she admitted.

I cocked my head. "What's that?"

"Well… it was really hard to come by because it's not everyday we manage to forge anything down there… but _I_ managed…" She lifted her hand out of the water, sweeping it across the surface and into the air. A little bottle was dangling from a string clutched in Elsa's hand. I squinted, not really able to see it.

"Here, show me over there," I suggested, pointing right.

"Good idea," she agreed.

We met at our pile of rocks. I settled myself on my seat and she rested her arm on the stones, handing the bottle to me. It was as big as my thumb and as wide as a thimble. It was corked with blue and pink sand inside of it.

_Blue _and _pink_.

"Elsa…" I croaked. "What is this?"

"It's sand from my kingdom," she told me softly. "We do have _some_ magical abilities, you see, to create colorful sands… I thought you might like it. I salvaged the cork and bottle from a wreckage."

"Wow. This is so… wow," I whispered. "Your world sounds exactly what I imagined." I giggled. "Realistic for you but not for me. But you're a _mermaid_ so I gotta open my imagination a little bit."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it. I'll turn it into a necklace and wear it everyday," I promised, crossing my heart. "Thank you, Elsa… I don't have anything for you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she assured. "Spending time with you and hearing about your world is that best gift I've ever gotten."

We smiled at one another and I felt my heart hammer in my chest. I slowly reached out to her and she copied, sliding her hand into mine and clutching my wrist, just as we had the day we first met. I had to resist the urge to jump inside the sea with her and kiss her adorable freckled face.

We sat like that, human and mermaid, holding hands. Nothing in the world seemed to matter to me anymore. It was just me and Elsa in our little cove.

Maybe we could never be together. Maybe she didn't think of me more than a friend but that was okay. We had a connection unlike any other. And I was going to hang on to being her friend for as long as I could.

The next thing I knew, her hand was sliding away but came to a halt at my palm. Together, we lifted them up so our hands were flat against one another, fingers stretching. Her hand was the same size as mine but her fingers were slender rather than my stubby ones. She had the fingers of a pianist, that much was clear. I almost asked her if she had pianos in the ocean but I halted myself, not wanting to look and sound like an absolute moron.

But there was something about our touch that made me look into her face. At that moment, we were no longer two different species. I only saw her human half, the half that was as close to my world as she was going to get. The half that was capable of feeling and displaying emotions, knowing what love and sadness and anger was. We were similar… very similar.

Both of us shunned away from others because of our parents. Mine keeping me away from a normal life due to travels and hers shutting her out due to her lineage. Both of us wanting someone to understand, both of us finding one another out of the blue, feeling like nobody else cared, and we were both at a lost for love because her kind wasn't familiar with it and I was hopelessly smitten with her.

I realized that, no matter what, she was still a person. A tail didn't matter to me and I would love her anyway because all I was seeing was Elsa.

"Anna," she breathed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yes?" I replied timidly.

"I hope we can remain friends forever," she said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

My neck and ears went red with flattery. "Yeah, well, without you I think I would be lost."

_Wow, Anna. _How stupid did I just sound?

But Elsa giggled, intertwining her fingers with mine. I clasped our hands together, feeling warmth spread from my cheeks and into my stomach, where it nestled and waited to dip further if my stupid hormones got the better of me.

"We'll be friends forever. I promise," I said.

Although I meant it, the promise stung because I was basically friend zoning myself hard. Jeez, the _one_ time I find an incredible girl and crush on her after sharing a super awesome connection I get stuck in the friend zone. Kudos to my fellows in the friend zone and cheers for trying (unless you're a douche who thinks you're in the zone just because she just won't get inside your pants because that's not cool).

_Who_ am I talking to?

I looked into Elsa's eyes and skimmed around her face. Her freckles were dusted across her nose, her lashes long and gorgeous, and her smile calm and sweet. I could spend days looking at her, drinking in her presence and her scent.

I wondered if she smelled as salty as the sea she lived in.

"I wish I could sit with you," she whispered.

"I wish you could, too," I responded truthfully.

* * *

My folks invited Duke Wessel over again for a research gathering. A few others from the science academy or whatever it was called were to join them while I had to sit in my room and listen to them laugh at the pun about sperm whales like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Ha. Ha.

_H_i_l_a_r_i_o_u_s_.

But I was allowed to invite friends over to keep me company, according to my understanding Dad. I ended up calling Merida and Rapunzel to hang out with me. Mom bought us some snacks and take out, ushering us into my bedroom before the guests arrived. Merida occupied my bed while Rapunzel twirled herself around in my spinning chair at my desk. I was sitting on the chair I brought in from the balcony, eating a handful of goldfish, wondering if Elsa would find these amusing.

"_But they don't even taste like fish_," she might say.

"So, I told him to never call me again," Merida finished a conversation I just stared tuning into.

"But he loved you," Rapunzel said, sorrow in her eyes. "You two were so good together."

"I'm _done_ with boys for now," Merida said, crossing her arms. "They're too much trouble than their worth. I tell you, I could find better pickings in a graveyard."

I snorted and Merida winked at me. Rapunzel shrugged and picked at her T-shirt, mumbling something about boys being just fine.

"I'm done with boys entirely," I quipped, crossing my legs distractedly. "I agree with you, Merida. Too much trouble."

"Yeah but I'm not going for girls anytime soon," Merida said. "I mean, no offense but I can't imagine myself with another girl on my arm."

"Anyone, boy or girl, who can put up with your zaniness is a saint and your guaranteed soul mate," Rapunzel teased with a wide grin.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Merida demanded, sitting straight on my bed, the magazine she had been skimming crunching in her hand.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Rapunzel laughed, sticking her tongue out at the fiery Scottish girl.

"Say it again, then!" Merida challenged.

"It's a mouthful. I'll pass."

"Oi! You're making fun of me!"

I watched as they continued their back and forth, Rapunzel becoming breathless with mirth and Merida's face glowing as red as her hair. I slipped a goldfish into my mouth, smiling at my two friends as they bickered and shot sassy remarks at one another. I was fading in and out of their conversation as I tossed my now empty napkin into the waste bin. My fingers ran along the cool surface of the bottle of sand that was now hanging around my neck. I felt my cheeks color at the thought of Elsa going out of her way to get me such a kind gift.

For me…

And she was so proud of it, too. When I smiled in awe, she looked so happy. I was the cause of her to grin that beautiful grin. I really wished that Elsa could get something from me. I would draw a picture for her but that was a no go for obvious reasons, I would give her a necklace but I wondered how that would work and what she liked…

I wracked my brain for _something_ to give in return to her. Spending everyday in her company wasn't enough in my opinion. I needed to express my feelings towards her in the way she had.

Well, of course she wasn't expressing any feelings for me. She was just being a good friend.

And _curse_ my emotions getting the better of me. If Elsa found out how hard I was crushing on her…

"Wake up, Anna!" Merida called from somewhere in the distance.

"Hm?" I looked up from my lap and towards the two girls.

Their fights seemed to have died down and they were both staring at me. Rapunzel's eyes drifted down to my neck, where my fingers were still toying with the bottled sand. She lifted her brows at me, meeting my eyes.

"Where's that from?" she asked me.

"Oh… it's from an old trip," I lied. "I fished it out of my bag and I thought it was nice so I started wearing it again."

"It's pretty," she mused. "Do you remember where you actually got it from, though?"

I shook my head.

_Keep Elsa safe._

"That's too bad," Merida commented plainly, flopping back on top of my blankets and cracking open the crinkled magazine. "You should ask your Mum and Dad."

"Maybe," I hummed, my thumb rubbing circles at the bottom of the bottle, my eyes fogging as I dwelled on Elsa again.

* * *

The next afternoon, I returned to the cove as usual with a special gift from me to Elsa. I finally found something I could give her that would hopefully survive underwater with her. I had spent all night making it until midnight. It was a hard thing to make and required a lot of concentration to avoid knots. But it turned out well and I was very proud of my minimal accomplishment.

I had light bags under my eyes that I caught sight of when I was brushing my teeth that morning. I hoped they weren't too noticeable because if Elsa found out I had spent all night working on the gift, she would never accept it.

That girl is too adorable and sweet for her own good.

I spread a towel on the sand and rested my bag beside it, the sun beating down on my skin as I rubbed in some suntan lotion. I then hugged my knees to my chest, smelling the salt air of the beach, waiting for Elsa to arrive.

When she did, we went over to our pile of rocks. But instead of sitting on them, I rested my knees in the little crevice, my gift for Elsa in my fist.

"So… _I_ got you something, too," I confided.

"Oh?"

Even though she was trying to act cool, I could tell that she was excited about it. I could see the light in her eyes as she gave me a once-over, looking for the surprise.

_God_, she's cute.

"Yeah. I made it myself," I said. "I used to make a bunch of these when I was living on the boat. I handed them out to the crew members but… this one is special because I made it for you."

Her cheeks colored but she didn't say anything. I smiled and reached out, opening my fist. Inside was a pink and blue woven friendship bracelet. The only thing practical I could make with my hands besides the occasional knit scarf or cap. Elsa's eyes widened at the simple sight, her smile receding.

My heart dropped.

"You… you don't like it?" I croaked.

"No! No, I love it," she said, looking into my eyes. "I've never seen something like this before. I'm a little… fascinated."

I laughed. "It's called a friendship bracelet," I told her. "I thought the colors worked 'cause it's the same colors you picked for the sand." I tapped the bottle gently. "So… here it is!"

Elsa took it from me and I gestured for her to slip it over her wrist. She did so and admired the new accessory. I was beaming like a goofball, unable to control my overflowing affection for this girl and her cuteness.

She trailed a finger over the woven material before giggling and meeting my eyes.

"It's lovely," she said. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," I said.

"Here, I… I want to give you a little something extra," she said shyly.

I blinked as she raised a hand to her lips and pressed a kiss into it. My breath hitched and I froze completely, warmth spreading _everywhere_ as she reached up to me and pressed her kissed hand against my lips.

I could almost taste her lingering kiss on her palm and the scent was as salty as I imagined.

I bet it was nothing compared to a real kiss from her but _damn_ was I swooning. My head was reeling and I wanted to fall into the water and press my lips against hers to satisfy my desperate and despicable urges.

But now that Elsa was showing me this kind of affection, they didn't seem so desperate or despicable anymore.

She pulled her hand away and I was struck dumb. She was blushing and biting her lip, gazing at me with uncertain eyes. Then she took in a deep breath and whispered.

"I really like you, Anna," she admitted. "More than a friend…"

"You do?" I managed to splutter.

She nodded.

"I… like you a lot, too," I said, kissing my palm and placing it on her lips in return.

When I pulled back, we were smiling like idiots, our faces glowing. My heart was beating out a samba and Elsa let out a nervous giggle, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously.

_Goddamn_, she was cute!

* * *

**Admission of feelings=adorkable relationship beginnings.**

**Yay, you guys! :D And who's excited for the Frozen DVD!? I know I AM!**

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**See you next time!**


	5. In Which He's a Creep

**So I've been back at school and a lot of stuff has happened with essays and my Senior Project and ughhhhhh.**

**You guys… I love learning but I hate school. ****Anyway: Anna and Elsa have kinda sorta admitted their mutual feelings. Squee! Now what is to ensue? Let's find out!**

**Ask and submission box open on my Tumblr (athpluver) and do make sure to follow Frozest on Tumblr, too.**

**AND CONGRATS TO FROZEN FOR WINNING BEST ANIMATED FILM AND BEST ORIGINAL SONG! MY LOVELY FROZEN FRACTALS!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

"Anna… _Anna!_" Mom called from far away.

"Huh?" I looked up from my plate of steamed vegetables to find my parents staring at me strangely. My fork was hovering just near my mouth but I had yet to take a bite. "What's up?"

"You're staring off into space," Dad told me.

"With this dreamy smile," Mom added.

"Have I? I barely noticed," I admitted, putting my fork down. "I guess I was daydreaming."

About Elsa.

Ever since our admission of affection, I couldn't stop smiling like a complete moron. It had been five days since we told one another and now, we're acting so shy around each other but it's really cute. I liked this little relationship. We didn't kiss at all yet— which was a little disappointing but I'm not going to rush her— but we did give each other eskimo kisses before we went our separate ways. I taught her what they were and she seemed to find it a better substitute for waving and thought it would suffice for the kissing.

We would also kiss our hands and then simultaneously press them against each other's lips to simulate a kiss… which would make us burst out laughing. So that was always fun.

I really wanted to know what she tasted like, to feel her close to me. But, because I'm me and I'm not a jerk, I chose to respect her wants and needs and to wait it out until she felt comfortable.

"What were you smiling about anyway?" Dad asked me. "You've been like this for days."

"David…" Mom warned.

"It's cool, Mom," I said with a grin. "I just met someone really special."

"Is it that girl you were talking about?" Mom reminded me.

I nodded. "Yeah… we're kinda… together."

"When are we going to meet her?" Dad inquired.

"_David!_"

"Mom, really! Dad, no, you're not going to meet her."

"Oh, why not? Are we embarrassing?" Dad said, quirking an eyebrow.

"It's not that," I said with a shake of my head. "She's just very, very shy around new people."

"I see," Dad said, rubbing his hand over his chin. "I understand then. Well, regardless I'm very happy that you've found someone to make you smile like this." Mom nodded in agreement and I beamed.

"Me too," I said. "She's really great." I tapped my fork lightly against the plate, my previous daydream continuing.

I saw her with legs— I know I should like her for who she is but I couldn't help myself— and walking with me on the beach. Her cool hand in mine and a joyous smile on her face. She was leaning on my shoulder, the two of us laughing like we always do at one of my screw ups or her childish fascination with the world around her.

It was a fantasy that could never be reality, a dream that could never come true. What could I do but sit and fall harder and harder for her until the day we leave Arendelle Cove… possibly forever.

And every time I thought that, my heart would rip in two. I was really hoping that my parents would realize how wonderful this town is and decide to buy the house and we could _stay put_ for once in our lives.

There was a college a few miles away, tons of job opportunities, and I could stay with Elsa. Maybe we could never have a 'normal' relationship (normal being what society would call it) but I didn't care. Elsa and I were close and I loved every second of it.

I excused myself from dinner and bounded upstairs, plopping myself down in my desk chair and scooting forward to dick around on the Internet, checking my always empty email, and logging onto Tumblr to see what was cluttering up my dash this evening.

After (finally) getting off the computer, I jumped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling, the big smile on my face again. I shut my eyes and let my imagination wander, fantasies of Elsa and I being together on dry land, fingers intertwined, and kissing.

"Whoa, hold on," I said to myself, rubbing the heel of my hands over my eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself here, silly."

But the images wouldn't stop and I found myself yearning for her to be just like me.

* * *

"You shouldn't feel ashamed," Elsa said gently, running a hand over mine. "I often hope that you could be like me or that I can be like you."

"But I need to accept you—"

"You _do_ accept me."

I had just confided in Elsa that I had these thoughts of her becoming human. I decided that, if we were to be together for as long as we could, there shouldn't be any secrets between us. The only thing I couldn't (selfishly) bring up was the Duke Wessel matter. It was my undying fear that she would become afraid and rush off, leaving me alone.

God, I'm such a bitch.

"Yeah, but I gotta stop these fantasies. If I really deserve someone like you, Elsa, I should be an accepting person. You're a mermaid, yeah, I understand but… we're worlds apart!" I threw my hands up in the air, startling her slightly. "I can't stand the thought of leaving you if we move out of Arendelle Cove. Elsa, I… I can't possibly imagine a life without you—" My voice cracked. "Well, now I'm sounding really clingy. I'm sorry. Let me just try to—"

"Anna! Anna, I get it," Elsa giggled. "Don't worry about it. It'll be hard if you leave but it might be a sign that we aren't meant to be together."

"No!" I found myself crying out.

There was a ringing silence. I stuffed my fist in my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut as she stared at me, a blush splashing across both of our faces. I peeked at her with one eye, hoping that she didn't think I was any creepier or weirder than I've already made myself out to look. All Elsa did was reach out before pressing her hand against my lips. I closed my eye again and tasted the salt water on my lips as she pulled back.

I swiped my tongue along my bottom lip, breathing a little harder than I should have. Elsa smiled softly and I bit my lip.

"You're amazing, okay?" she told me. "And whatever happens, happens. I will always cherish what we have and will always remember you. But right now, you and I are together… no force on Earth can change that now."

"Jeez, Elsa, you're taking my breath away," I whispered shyly. "You're like… wow. So scholarly."

"Believe it or not, Anna, I'm very smart," she grinned.

"I know you are," I assured her. "And I love spending time with you. It makes me feel smart, too. 'Cause, y'know, I gotta teach you about stuff."

She laughed again. "I'm a fast learner. I know a lot about humans, too."

"Like what?"

"Just trust me that I know."

"…Like how we mate?"

"Wha- no. No, other things."

"Oh… okay I'll take your word for it."

We laughed together, the sound of the crashing waves joining in as they sloshed against the rocks. I leaned back on my seat and gazed up at the cloudless sky, the sun kissing my skin and warming it up. I had gotten pretty tan since my move and Elsa confessed that she liked my newest complexion. I had asked her why she stayed so light skinned and she gave me a long look.

"When you live _under the water_, you'll understand," she quipped.

"Yeah but that's not gonna happen," I reminded her, poking her shoulder with my toe. "Unless I suddenly grow fins and whatever."

"I don't think that's a possibility."

"Exactly!" I puffed out my chest. "Who was right? I was right!"

Elsa rolled her eyes and yanked my foot hard, forcing me to slip off my rocks and fall into the water beside her. I resurfaced to find her doubled over, running her hands through her hair. Specks of water from my stupendous splash were dotting her cheeks, sparkling in the sun. My hair was plastered to my face and I wobbled on the sand beneath my feet, glaring at her.

"Really?" I snapped. "You're _so_ lucky my phone is back in my bag."

"I'm so _s_o_r_r_y_, Anna," Elsa said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Did I get water on you?"

"You pulled me down!" I argued, sending a wave at her face with my hand. She laughed again, spluttering from my attack. I grinned and bobbed in the water beside her, not bothering to get out of the ocean just yet.

She wanted to play dirty? Fine. Then I was going to play dirty right back!

I brushed my hands across her shoulders and she tensed, glancing at me with anticipation. With a cool once-over along her face, I glided closer to her with my eyes lidded. There was no way I was going to kiss her but she didn't have to know that.

Elsa bit her lip, eyes darting from side to side. I moved one of my hands over to her chin and took it between my forefinger and thumb, giving her an impish grin.

"What… what are you doing?" she demanded breathlessly.

"Dunno," I replied.

She furrowed her brows as I giggled, running my thumb along her bottom lip. She shivered pleasantly. I found that teasing my pretty mermaid was going to be a fun activity from now on. Come to think of it, I wondered if she had ever had such "intimate" contact from another girl before.

But if anyone was going to show her a flirtatious style of affection then I'll be damned if I don't give it to her first. I had been known to be very coy and flirty with my past girlfriends so this was in my area of expertise. Frankly, I was shocked because I'm usually a babbling, awkward adolescent without any social skills.

With Elsa, however, I was different and I _loved _it.

I leaned closer, my breath ghosting over her cheek. Elsa's face was burning and I could feel the heat on my lips. I wondered (pervertedly) how she managed to be like this is mermaids didn't get aroused like humans did.

Gee, I'm a weird ass kid.

I pressed my lips against her soft cheek, drawing away the water that had attached itself to her skin. Elsa's breath hitched and she made a noise that sounded disappointed. I giggled and drew back, earning a swat on my arm.

"That wasn't nice!" she whined.

"It's what you get!" I countered, dropping my hands into the water and swimming back to the shore.

Elsa followed me and pouted as I pulled myself onto the tide. My clothes now had a good amount of weight to them as I slumped over to my little set up. I pulled off my shirt shamelessly and tugged on my sweatshirt. I had been wearing swimming shorts, however, so I didn't bother changing those.

"Awh, Anna!" Elsa said, crossing her arms. "You're really not being fair."

"I'm playing hard to get," I said slyly.

"It's not hard to get when I know about it," Elsa said with a smirk.

"Yeah but… but, I… oh you knock it off!" I snarled playfully.

Elsa giggled, pressing her hand to her lips.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Hans swore loudly.

"_Hans!_ There are children in here," Rapunzel scolded.

We were at the local outdoor arcade by the beach after a lunch consisting of pizza. When I hang out with this group, I found that I ingest a ton of pizza. Hans was at the pinball machine and was losing miserably. Merida was playing a hunting game with Eugene, Kristoff trying his hand at a ski ball station, and I was at the machine beside Hans. Rapunzel and I were taking turns so she was watching Hans and I. The idiot didn't seem to understand that you hit the _only two buttons_ on the side of the machine in order to play. The ball would zoom into the hole and he was losing his quarters fast.

"You're not doing it right," Rapunzel told him blandly.

"I am so!" Hans retorted.

I snorted and shook my head, snapping the ball into the game, watching it bounce around the area. I tapped my foot to the beat of the song that was playing overhead and smelled the ocean spray as it flowed through the grand, open door of the arcade.

Merida turned out victorious in the hunting game and earned a few tickets. Eugene had a bucket full already and was trying to win a stuffed animal for his girlfriend but still stuck out his bottom lip in defeat. He gazed pleadingly at Merida but she rolled her eyes.

"Ah, don't you use the smolder on me, you dunce," Merida said, flicking the older boy in the middle of his perfect forehead. "It don't work."

"It's been an off day," Eugene argued, stalking over to the ski ball games to join Kristoff.

I sipped distractedly on my soda as I lost my last ball, stepping to the side as Rapunzel took over for her turn. I leaned on the machine and watched Merida wander around the area for a new game, quarters in one fist and tickets in the other.

Someone cleared their throat to the right of me and I glanced out of the corner of my eye. To my complete shock and horror, I found Duke Wessel standing beside me. Rapunzel had forgotten the game and was peering at me from over the short man's shoulder with a dubious expression.

I sent her a helpless shrug before I switched my attention to the snotty scientist.

"Can… can I help you?" I squeaked.

"I thought I mind find you here, Miss Christensen," he said through his mustache. "May we speak alone?"

"…Uh sure?" I said.

He nodded curtly and turned on his heel, marching out of the arcade. Rapunzel asked me if I was going to be okay and I nodded. If the creep tried anything, I assured her I would clock him one. She sent me a smile before getting back to the game.

"What's up?" I asked cautiously as we stood by the railings that overlooked the beach. "I'm kinda socializing for once and I'd like to continue that, thanks."

"I need to ask you a few questions," he said.

I sighed without caring about my manners. My parents weren't here so it didn't matter to me at the given moment. "Fine. Shoot."

"What do you know about the Arendelle Cove mermaid?" he said.

I did a double take and my stomach clenched. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not one to repeat. Answer the question."

"I don't know anything about—"

"And do not _lie_."

"Seriously, Mr. Wessel, I really have no idea what you're talking about. I mean, all I know is that there's a legend about a supposed mermaid chilling in the waters of Arendelle Cove. If it's true, fabulous. If not, oh well." I sent him a crooked smile in hopes he would buy my real awkwardness. "Plus, why would someone like _me_ know anything about a mermaid in a town I've lived in for a month and a half?"

"I've seen a drawing of yours on the fridge when last I was over."

I had to prevent myself from gulping and cursing my mom for being such a… such a… such a _mom_. "So what? I draw mythical creatures. I can show you a picture of a griffin I sketched last fall—"

"No… no this one was very distinct." He pulled out a notepad and read his scribblings. "If I'm correct: it was a female with blond hair, blue eyes, and a green-ish tail. The very same details describing the Arendelle Cove's icon."

So Elsa _was_ the icon. She had been sneaking around the shores longer than she had told me. The girl was putting herself into the arms of danger and didn't even know it.

And here I was, being the shit girlfriend and not telling her about this maniac in front of me.

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you that I've never seen a mermaid like that before in my life," I lied hastily, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I screamed at myself in my head because that was a nervous tick I developed and it almost always appeared when I lied to someone's face.

God, Anna, you're terrible at this.

Duke gave me a glaring once-over before slipping his notepad back into his pocket.

"We shall see about that." His voice was dangerously soft and I got chills. "Good day."

Without another word, he whisked himself off, grunting to himself. I bit my lip so hard that I nearly drew blood. He was onto me! I had to remove that drawing and— No…

No, if I did that then he would get even more suspicious. I should have never agreed to allow Mom to put up my drawing. But her reasoning was: we never had a fridge good enough for my art.

What made this fridge so special?

I growled violently and stalked into the arcade, swiping my soda off the pinball machine where I had left it and took a fortifying gulp. Rapunzel sized me up anxiously as she let the ball slink into the hole.

"You all right?" she asked nervously.

"No! I can't believe that he even dared to—" I stopped short, reminding myself to shut up for one blesséd moment. "Yes… yes, I'm fine," I ended forcefully, squeezing my eyes shut. "I'll be fine."

"You're sure?"

I nodded. She pursed her lips and shot her extra ball back into the game.

"What did he want?" she said.

"Just wanted to ask me some questions about that dumb mermaid myth," I said with a tiny cringe. Lying about it or not, I didn't like to call Elsa dumb.

"It was only a matter of time, huh?" Hans piped up. "You see, Anna, when you start to believe in crazy stuff, your fellow believers will find you and— _ow!_" Rapunzel slammed her fist in his shoulder.

"Shut your mouth," she barked.

"That was unnecessary," Hans whined, sulking away from the machines to try and win a racing game. I took over Hans' spot and inserted a few quarters.

"Anyway, it wasn't a big deal," I said. "He's a crazy man so Hans is right about one thing."

"How'd he even find you?" Rapunzel said.

I shrugged. "Maybe he asked my parents. But if not, then he's mega-creepy."

"Yeah no kidding," she agreed. "Well, whatever the case I'm glad you managed to slip away before he took you into his lab for testing."

"He has a lab?" I grinned at the joke.

"Oh yeah. It's up on the hill about two miles from here. Somewhere in our big science institute where they study the ocean. I bet that's where your parents are doing all their research."

"Huh… maybe I should check it out one day. I mean, I might do that eventually 'cause my folks are big on showing me all their places of work."

"I took a field trip there before in the ninth grade. It has some military grade stuff in one area so I can tell these guys get serious about their experimentation."

"You really think they do stuff like that? Like… dissect?"

"No question," Merida suddenly said from my left, causing me to jump and miss my ball. "Oops, sorry."

"It's fine," I grumbled, shooting my last one out. "But, yeah? Dissection?"

"I heard they once found an alien," Merida said with a spooky voice, tugging playfully on one of my braids.

"Now _that's_ a myth," Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Aliens don't exist."

Again, I found myself questioning the world around me simply because of the existence of a gorgeous mermaid that I'm falling in love with. Hey, if mermaids exist then… why not aliens?

Oh dear god, tell me that I'm not gonna meet one of those next in my misadventures.

"You don't know that!" Merida argued.

"Whatevvvvver," Rapunzel drawled out with a lazy smirk. "But I agree with you about the dissection. I wouldn't put it past them. You know how scientists are, right Anna? They have to know what makes things tick." She knocked a fist against her forehead in example. "How d'you think they figured out humans?"

Merida cackled and wiggled her shoulders. "Ooh, scary!"

They both burst into fits of laughter and I forced out a smile. In my head, however, I couldn't help but see Elsa in the clutches of a faceless group of scientists, scalpels and curettes in their gloved hands. Lights on her pale, terrified face as they moved closer—

"No!" I shouted out, my hands flying to my temple and my eyes squeezing shut. My game was lost but I didn't care. I was breathing hard and my ever-so-graceful self tripped over my own feet. I fell to the floor and landed on my butt hard, allowing me to sit there as I shivered.

"Anna! What's wrong?" Rapunzel cried, at my side at once.

"War stories to tell us?" Merida quipped weakly, earning a swat on the arm from the brunette beside me.

"Nothing I just… I have a wild imagination, that's all," I said. "And I tendency to overreact because I'm a major klutz."

"Talk about melodramatic," Rapunzel laughed. "Well, as long as you're okay."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," I said with a grin.

I got to my feet and brushed off my pants. I was so ridiculous to think such a thing. Elsa wasn't going to get caught as long as I was around. I had nothing to worry about because I was going to keep her a secret and make sure she was safe.

* * *

I returned home that evening to find my parents on the couch watching some romantic comedy. Well… _half_ watching it. Mom was on her laptop— most likely going over some developing data on the latest discovery— and Dad was sitting on the floor, hovering over the coffee table, which was covered with stacks of paper.

Hard at work as usual.

"Hiya!" I greeted as I such the door.

"Hello, sweetie," Mom said with a smile, tearing her attention away from the computer to face me. "How was your day?"

"It was nice. My friends and I hit the arcade and Eugene won Rapunzel this really cute dolphin stuffed toy," I said, striding over and sinking into an armchair. "And… uh… Duke Wessel found me there today."

"Did he now?" Dad said, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

So he _didn't_ ask my parents about my whereabouts. Now I was officially creeped out.

"He wanted to ask a few questions about the mermaid," I said.

Mom looked uncomfortable. "David…"

"I'm sure it's nothing, darling," Dad said. "He knows Anna has a vast imagination so he must've wanted to hear her opinion on the matter. Right, Anna?"

With that comment, I found that I wasn't as creeped out. Perhaps he _did_ want to hear my opinion. But he had mentioned my drawing on the fridge so it wasn't all about what I had to say. Then again, if I told them that he had just happened out of the blue, we might pack up and leave Arendelle Cove behind because of the creep.

So, me being a stupid moron, I nodded.

"See, Faye?" Dad said, gesturing to me. "Nothing."

"Mm," Mom mused. She sounded convinced and her kind smile returned. "Now at least our colleagues are taking an interest in our daughter for once."

For the first time, I wanted my parents to pry into my business. I was usually so reserved and personal that they got the hints to back off. But my selfish need to see Elsa was fighting with the rational duty to tell them that Duke was a freak. Instead, I clamped my mouth shut and turned my attention to the television.

* * *

"So this is what we call chocolate," I said with a grin. "It's a candy that I just _love_."

I was sitting on my rocks with Elsa floating in the water. I agreed to allow her to taste some of the foods that made human existence fantastic. I had already given her a bite of my sandwich, a sip of my soda, and some of my fries. But now, she was eyeing my bar of chocolate I bought from a corner liquor store on my way here.

"Chocolate," she repeated, liking the way it sounded.

"Here. Lemme just—" I snapped a square and handed it to her, smiling broadly. "It's really good, Elsa. I think you'd love it."

Elsa took it from me and examined it. She licked her lips before popping the square into her mouth. Her expression turned from one of suspicion to one of delight. She hummed and her jaw worked as she chewed slowly on the candy. I giggled as I ate my own little square of chocolate.

"You like it?" I asked.

"It's wonderful!" she responded. "Can I have another?"

"Of course," I said with a grin, breaking off an entire row. "Here ya go."

Elsa stared at me in awe. "The… the entire thing?"

"Sure. You love it so much. Why not, right?" I said.

She laughed and plucked it from my hand. "You're the best, Anna."

"I try," I teased with a playful wink.

We fell into a comfortable silence, Elsa nibbling her chocolate row tenderly. I bit into the bar and chewed thoughtfully. Exposing Elsa to all this human stuff… was that a good thing? I mean, we're not the best species to talk about organic foods. But chocolate was organic, right? And it wasn't like I was feeding her McDonalds or something gross like that.

I was in love with her reactions, though. Watching her experience a tiny snippet of my world was something I marveled in seeing everyday. When I would tell her about airplanes or roller coasters, her eyes would get dreamy and the drive to show her these things firsthand would surge though me.

But I couldn't and that fact always broke my heart. And I'm certain it broke hers as well.

"Hey, Anna," she said, calling me back into reality.

I gazed down at her with a smile. "Yes, Elsa?"

"Can you tell me about snow again?"

Her favorite topic.

I could only grin and nod. "So snow… it's like water but when it's really super cold out. It falls from the sky— kinda like rain but…"

I continued to recount my vast knowledge of snow and watched her grow dreamy again, leaning her arms on the rocks and gazing up at me with an affectionate smile. I felt heat crawl up my neck but I kept on talking— one of my personal skills— and entertaining her.

In that tiny amount of time, my worries were long gone; carried away by the ocean breeze.

* * *

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**See you next time!**


	6. But I Didn't

**Things are developing in the relationship of Elsa and Anna in Shore. I may not give them heart-wrenching moments like other three stories that have been ripping my heart out… but this chapter… ah, this one might make you guys hate me.**

**But hey, it's Elsanna.**

**And yo! So I put Secretly Geek's song "Shore" in here. If you wanna hear it, it's on Band Camp (you can look it up) and listen to it. It's a super amazing song. Follow their Tumblr: Frozest!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

The Fourth of July is a known holiday all across the United States: the day we claimed our independence from the British. Which is cool, I guess but I wasn't all American to really give it any thought because all I cared about was the food and the fireworks. Sure I was born here and I'm _legally_ an American gal but my family is from Norway. My great grandparents came here a long time ago and thus, families continue and here I am.

Hooray for America.

Today was the start of the big celebration and it was the one day I saw how busy Arendelle Cove could get. The streets were lined with booths of all kind, representing the local shops (and the two Starbucks) by shouting out at people who walked by. It was like the famers market on a Sunday that I used to go to with Mom when we lived in Los Angeles for a period of time.

Everything was colorful, exhilarating, and exciting. I was grinning ear to ear as I walked around town with my group of friends. We were chattering like birds with festive snacks in our hands, decorated in stars and stripes. Our faces were painted for the fun of it. The sun was beating down onto our bodies making our clothes stick to our skin. Laughing, one arm was looped with Rapunzel's and the other looped with Merida's. I wanted to see everything, taste all the foods— This was my kind of fun: the whacky, in-your-face, bright fun that fit my personality to a T.

It was loud and kids were playing with Snappers in the streets. A couple of teens were passing out illegal sparklers to save for the night ahead. Fireworks were going to be lit up from the ocean and I was going to watch them with _friends _on the beach when it got dark.

My parents were so happy that I was actually enjoying myself for once, socializing and acting like a teenage girl. My friends had called me up early that morning to tell me their plans and I had jumped at the chance. Stumbling around the room, I had pulled on my jean shorts and a white T-shirt to mess up, tugging on my sandals as I bounded out the door, telling my parents where I would be at break-neck speed.

So there I was, eating funnel cakes and ice cream. My face was painted to look like a cat. My shirt had been drawn and dribbled on. My hands were sore and raw from tug-of-war on the beach. I had forgotten to apply sunscreen so my skin wasn't so much sun-kissed, more like I had been boiled with a bunch of lobsters. But I didn't care. The color, noise, and shine was enough to make me grin and ignore my blisters and cuts and whatever else I had earned from the party.

The boys had tried their hand at a test of strength, which was hilarious to watch. Poor Hans, although unmatched by all (except Eugene) in good looks, could barely lift the hammer. Eugene had tried but his best but the bell wasn't quite reached. When _Kristoff_ had taken the hammer from him, he slammed it down so hard the bell was almost broken off. I soon became the proud owner of a reindeer plush courtesy of my best guy friend.

We rode cheap carnival rides and one almost broke down. That was super scary because it was the one that spun non-freaking-stop at a rapid speed. I had to stumble my way to a trashcan afterwards and lost my delicious hotdog in the process (which wasn't so delicious coming up as it was going down), with Rapunzel tenderly rubbing circles in my back as I vomited gracelessly into the hot, smelly garbage.

Fun times.

Really, though, this day was going amazingly. I didn't realize what I had been missing out on. Being with great friends, shitty food, and carnivalesque rides was what life was all about.

For the first time, I wasn't thinking of Elsa. My mind was so cluttered with the adrenaline of being surrounded by the entire population of Arendelle Cove that I didn't consider my mythical girlfriend was probably sulking in our sandy shore, thinking I had abandoned her. It wasn't until I saw the flag of the town flutter proudly in the summer breeze beside the American flag did I realize I was going to be late. The silhouette of the mermaid in the middle of the banner made me freeze in our pleasant stroll and Merida turned, her brow lifting.

"What're you doing?" she inquired. "C'mon, Anna, we're getting lunch."

In front of god and everybody, I stuttered out her name, "Elsa…"

"Who?" Rapunzel questioned but I didn't listen. Unhooking my arms from them, I dropped my poor ice cream and started tearing down the streets.

Oh god, what kind of girlfriend was I? Not even mentioning that there was a celebration in the town so I might be absent. Sweet Jesus, I hope she was still there.

I ended up tripping as I hit the beach, climbing through the hike down to the cove with scraped knees. I didn't bother tending to the wounds. Nothing compared to the amount of panic in my veins.

When I arrived finally, I stumbled over my own feet and collapsed onto the sand with a dull thud. I heard laughing and I glared up to see Elsa in the water, holding her sides and her cheeks flushed with mirth.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "You should totally laugh at the amount of trouble I had to go through to get here."

She wiped her eyes, still grinning. "I was wondering if you were coming today."

"T-today?" I repeated, getting onto my feet and brushing my smarting knees tenderly. "What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it your big celebration today?" she said, cocking her head to one side.

"Yeah… how'd you know?" I said, gaping at her.

"You guys set off big, pretty explosions at night," she told me, pointing up into the sky, which was a beautiful shade of blue. "I like watching them."

"So you _knew_ that I might miss out on one meeting?"

"Anna, I don't care if you have fun with your friends. Sweetie—" I shivered pleasantly at this new pet name. "—if you didn't come today, that's what I would assume. I want you to have fun and be yourself with others."

"You don't mind?" I said with disbelief.

"Of course not! Anna, really. Do you honestly believe that I would feel bad if you were to miss one or two days? We've been meeting for a long time now and I'm well aware that you have a life outside of us."

"Elsa…"

"I want you to be you. Because if such events happen where we can't be together then I would want you to find all the happiness in the world, forget about me, and be the best Anna you can be without me."

How come she was such a realist? It was one of the very few things that bothered me about her. Elsa was spot on and realistic while I was a romantic daydreamer. It was so odd to be told something I was barely aware of because, usually, I was on the opposite end and telling _her_ those things.

I decided to be honest.

"Elsa, I don't like thinking about that," I said blandly.

"I know," she said, sounding guilty. "But… you gotta think ahead sometimes."

We fell into a calm silence, the only sounds being the swishing of the ocean, the call of the seagulls, and the buzzing of the street party happening behind us beyond the cliffs.

"So you don't mind if I hang out with my friends?"

"What did I just say?" she grinned.

I laughed. "Okay, okay. Thank you, Elsa."

"Hey, I'm just doing what's best for my girlfriend." Then she giggled. "Ooh, I actually like that word. Humans can come up with pretty cool phrases. Mate just sounds too formal."

"And we're technically not mating," I pointed out. "We'd… uh… we'd actually be unable to mate since we're two girls but hey, whatever." I really had no intention on pursuing that conversation further in spite of some of the more... 'pleasant' visions of Elsa that would visit me in my dreams.

Elsa rolled her eyes with a wide grin. "Yeah, whatever." She waved her hand, as if she was commanding me to go. "Have fun with your friends, Anna. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"It's a date," I said, crossing my heart. I blew her a kiss. "See you then."

That was probably a good time to tell her that I loved her.

But I didn't.

* * *

I returned to my friends, out of breath and sweaty. They were all staring at me with wide eyes and bewildered expressions. They had been standing where I left them: in between the snow cone stand and the pizza place stand. I drew in a sharp breath and straightened, grinning at them.

"Sorry. I had an errand to run," I lied hastily.

"Don't… what?" Rapunzel said, her face contorted with confusion. "And errand?"

"Mhm." I nodded, hoping that would be the end of the discussion.

"Right, okay. Well, then who the hell is Elsa?" Merida demanded, crossing her arms.

"Wha-?"

Then it hit me. I had said her name before I took off running like a maniac down the crowded streets. I must've looked like a complete mess now, sand on my stinging knees and my skin smelling like saltwater, the way I usually did when I returned from my visits with Elsa.

My stomach leapt into my throat and I almost puked for the second time that day. I hadn't quite blown Elsa's cover but she was no longer a secret to my friends. They were shooting me expectant looks, searching for an explanation to my madness.

I had none.

"She's uh… she's a friend," I said lamely, cringing.

"A friend?" Hans repeated. "Then where is she?"

"Yeah, we'd love to meet her," Eugene supplied with a genuine smile.

"I've never heard of an Elsa around town before," Kristoff said slowly.

"Wasn't there a girl that went to our school with that name?" Rapunzel said.

"Yeah, in freshman year," Hans said with a shake of his head. "She moved to Toronto, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"Then wait… is she, like, back or something?" Kristoff asked.

"No, her parents would've reopened the clothing shop," Eugene reminded.

"I thought they sold that when they moved," Rapunzel said.

"Right! They gave it to their neighbors, didn't they?" Merida added in.

They were all reminiscing about an Elsa that wasn't _my_ Elsa. I watched them have a conversation and, for the first time, I felt like an outcast in their little clique. They were usually so open and welcoming but now… now they were talking about some girl and I was out of the loop.

Almost as if I was back to square one.

Thankfully, after an argument between Hans and Eugene over whether or not she had been the captain of the debate team, we moved on to ride the ferris wheel. Plus, the topic of my Elsa was dropped. Another plus, I was arm-in-arm with my girl friends again as we laughed, walking along the booth lined streets like nothing out of the ordinary happened.

That night, we joined the rest of the town on the beach, my parents talking to Rapunzel and Merida's parents a few blankets away from us. I was perched in Kristoff's lap— which was actually very comfortable considering— waiting for the fireworks to start. My reindeer toy was in my grasp again, Kristoff being the caretaker of it when I had run off to apologize to Elsa. Rapunzel and Eugene were beside us, the brunette in her boyfriend's lap. Merida had given Hans a dagger-filled glare, as if to tell him not to get any ideas. Rather, he sat on her left, Kristoff on her right.

We had a picnic dinner that was supplied to us from Kristoff's workplace. I had tucked my reindeer into my lap as I bit into my oozing grilled ham and cheese, watching the star-strewn sky. I loved being away from the big city. I could see the constellations, hear the local sounds, and not taste pollution in my mouth.

Bliss.

Arendelle Cove was bliss.

"Thanks a lot, you guys," I let out softly. "You've made my stay here incredible… really. You're fantastic friends."

And I wasn't just talking to them. I was speaking out to Elsa, wherever she was in the big blue, and thanking her as well. Rapunzel took my free hand that wasn't gripping my sandwich and Kristoff nuzzled the back of my head kindly with his nose.

As the first few fireworks lit up the sky with powerful bursts and booms, I felt a smile tug at my lips. I felt a warmth spread through my being. I felt welcomed. I felt part of the group, part of the town.

I felt like I was home.

* * *

The next week was probably the worst week of my life. After all that had happened with me and my new friends and my brilliant girlfriend, I thought that life could only get better and better.

But I was wrong.

So very wrong.

It didn't start off that way, however. My week was going great on Sunday, my ukulele in my grasp and Elsa bobbing in the water below me. We had finally finished the song and we were giggling, trying to catch our breath in order to sing it.

"Okay, hold on," I gasped. "Can we just start?"

"Yeah, sorry," Elsa agreed with a nod. "It's your first lyric, though."

"Of course… right— um." I placed my fingers on the neck of the instrument, putting them in the correct position for the start of the song. I cleared my throat and began to play, winking down at the beautiful creature below. "_Your hair color's great, your seashells are hot. You only talk a little…_"

"_And you talk a lot_," she jumped in.

"_Your home is the sea, my home is the land._"

"_I'd give almost anything to step in that sand._"

I strummed for a beat before going, "_We couldn't be farther apart. _But, hey—"

In perfect harmony, our voices rang through and intertwined with one another, singing the chorus of our personal ballad.

"_Meet me by the sandy shore  
__Down by the rock  
__At our favorite port  
__I'll chat you up on the bank  
__Small talk at our rock  
__Down by the dock  
__We'll stay that way  
__'Till our parents squawk  
__Going home alone  
__I'd rather walk the plank._"

Smiling at one another, I continued to play cheerfully. Then I opened my mouth and continued to sing out.

"_I'm young and homebound,_" I went

"_I'm stuck in line for the throne,_" she added grimly.

"You're a _queen_. That's so cool!" I insisted.

"I'd rather be disowned," she echoed. "_It romanticizes isolation._"

"_I guess I know how you feel. I've spent my life on vacation from what hurt from what was real_," I sang.

We had pieced together some old conversations we had a while back when we had just began to get to know one another. They fit perfectly into our song and I couldn't be prouder of the results.

"_Life can really get you drowned,_" Elsa teased. "But, hey."

Again, we repeated the chorus, ending our song. The sound of the ukulele faded away as we laughed some more, purely enjoying each other's company. Elsa tickled the bottom of my foot playfully with a gleam in her eye.

"You're an amazing singer," she complimented.

"You too," I told her honestly.

Again, I wanted to tell her that I loved her.

But I didn't.

Instead, I played her a few songs that come from the mainland and she closed her eyes with bliss, listening to the sound of my voice and my instrument. Afterwards, I got in the water and I taught her how to play Marco Polo in our little cove. She was such a cheater— although she would never admit it— because she was so synchronized with the water around her that she damn well _knew_ where I was in spite of her eyes being shut.

When I accused her of cheating, she got a little peeved and we bickered for a good five minutes until it hit us what we were arguing about. Then we cracked up laughing again.

Pretty soon I had to go home. Elsa always looked so crestfallen when I started packing up that it broke my heart each and every time. I really wanted to spend the night on the beach and just talk with her until I fell asleep but… what would that mean for Elsa? Just floating on her back until the morning when I woke up?

No… as much as I knew our great difference in species prevented us from having a 'normal' relationship, I craved to curl up beside her in a warm bed and share a pillow talk moment with her. After a day on the beach, my favorite thing was to strip out of my clothes, sink into my pajamas, and collapse into bed. With Elsa in that equation, it would equal perfection.

I raised my hand in farewell as I walked back up the cliffs, blowing her a kiss. Elsa returned the gesture with a shy smile.

When I got home, however, I wasn't expecting Duke to be there, flanked by two large men in military uniforms and deep scowls. They were sitting on the couch, drinking my Mom's tea, which would have been really funny if not for my complete confusion over why they were here. Dad was talking with Duke ferociously in harsh whispers, his face clouded and a delicate shade of puce across his cheeks. Mom was washing the dishes distractedly, almost as if she were trying to act like some sort of housewife.

"Uh… hiya?" I choked out, plopping my bag onto the floor.

Mom looked at me desperately and I read her expression with concern. It was like she was begging me to tell her the truth over some horrible circumstance. I scrunched my brows and fear bolted through me like lightning. The next thing I knew, Duke was storming over to me and forced me against the door, my heart hammering in my chest.

"What the fuck do you want!?" I actually swore in front of my parents. But I didn't care. The overwhelming terror that was thrumming through my body called for the outburst. "Get away from me, you creep!"

"Tell me, Anna," he snarled into my face, his breath stinking like dead fish. "Tell me when and where you met the mermaid."

My hammering heart stopped thundering and my body was frozen solid. Time had halted and I prayed that I could shrug it off like I did the day he basically stalked me to the arcade and questioned me. I looked at my parents for help but they weren't giving me the confused expressions that I had hoped for.

Instead, to my absolute _horror_, they were glaring at me accusingly.

It was then that I realized they believed in Duke's findings and evidence of Elsa being a real creature. My parents weren't idiots and I knew that with pride but this… this must have been really something to persuade them that a mythical creature was living amongst the fish and the reefs and the waves.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said timidly.

"Anna…" croaked my father. "Please tell us the truth."

"Think of the scientific discoveries that could be made from this development," my mother supplied.

Even though they wanted answers, I still managed to hear the apologetic tones in their voices. But that did nothing to calm me.

"There's no truth to be told!" I shot back. "I have no idea what this is about! There is no mermaid! It's a myth. She's fake, nothing. She's just a silly icon that—"

"She?" Duke inquired.

Shit.

"I meant 'it!'" I cried. "But mermaids are usually 'she' because a mer_man_ is a 'he.'" I laughed weakly, my eyes darting over to the two goons sitting on the couch, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary in this household. "'Cause uh… gender differences and all."

"Anna…" Dad let out again, twisting his hands nervously— a quirk I had picked up from him. And for a fleeting moment, I wanted to detach myself from any similarities I had with my parents. I wanted nothing to do with them.

I was furious.

"You're going to believe this weirdo over your own daughter!?" I screeched, feeling betrayed by my parents, threatened by Duke, and protective of Elsa all at once, my emotions swirling in the pit of my stomach. "What good will that do!? Mermaids are fake!"

"False!" Duke screamed into my face. "I know they're real! I know they exist! You stupid, scatterbrained child— Grab her bag!"

My eyes snapped onto the goons who had jumped to their feet, Mom's good china falling from their grips and smashing to bits on our floor. Mom winced but didn't say anything, her hand desperately clinging to Dad's arm. The goons lumbered over and I made a grab for my bag. One of the goons caught me by the shoulders and pushed me up against the wall while his buddy gathered up my things. He shuffled through them wordlessly, the silence deafening and my eyes wet.

He grunted as he pulled out my notebook and drawing pad. I found my voice finally and yelled out, hoping someone in the neighborhood would hear me.

"You can't do that! You need a search warrant, you _fucking idiot_!" I shrieked, not giving a damn that my parents were standing right there. Years of pent up frustration towards them, years of loneliness, and my undying love for Elsa were all creating a storm in me and I wanted them to be released. "_Give me back my things!_"

"Is she real or not!?" roared Duke.

"I'm not answering _shit_!"

"Tell me now!"

"Let me go! Get your fucking hands off of me!"

"Anna—" my mother squeaked out.

I started to kick and flail my fists, hoping that they would make contact with something so I could break free, get my stuff, and run away. Maybe one of my friends could hide me until the craziness died down.

No matter, I wasn't going to give up without a fight. If it meant protecting Elsa from certain experimentation, then I would walk through the fires of hell for her. I would gladly earn a few bumps and bruises for her. And, if necessary although I hoped tonight wouldn't come to it, I would die for her.

"You're not going to get anything out of me!" I declared boldly, glaring up at my captor and hating his stupid mustache. "Let me go or so help me—"

All he did was growl and push me back into the wall. I tried to kick him in between his thighs but to no avail. Duke was sneering from behind his goon, looking powerful with these men in his command. He was flipping through my notes and the other goon was holding out my sketch pad.

"Those are nothing! I'm a writer! She's a character—" I tried.

"_Tell the truth_!" boomed my father, startling my mother and I.

Silence fell and I gaped at my father. He was dead serious about everything that was going on. I knew he loved me but he had always put his work blindly before both me and my mother. This was obviously something incredibly important and convincing that he was willing to put my pleads to the side and be this… this… this _madman._

"David—" Mom whispered.

"No… no, I'm done. I'm done with this silly argument," he said dangerously. "Anna… you're going to tell us the _goddamn _truth right now."

"We promise no harm will come to her," Mom offered weakly.

I could tell that she wasn't really in on everything that was going on anymore. I felt a rush of affection for my mother pass through me. But I could also tell that she was struggling with her scientific side and her parenting side. She wanted me to tell the truth but she didn't want to see me hurt.

"Mama," I whimpered.

She was close to crying, sliding her lids shut and covering her eyes with her hands. I stopped fighting and I felt my pent up tears slide down my cheeks.

"Do as your father says, Anna," Duke said with a menacing hiss, smirking down at my notes. "Quite an informative collection you have here. You really have no point in lying now… is she real?"

_I'm sorry, Elsa_.

"…Yes… she's real," I said.

_You're a shit girlfriend. You promised. You swore it to yourself, swore it to her. You've landed in her in danger now._

"Where is she, then?" Duke demanded coldly.

_A shimmer of hope._

I glared at him, the grip the goon had on me slackening. I clenched my fist and waited for the right opportunity to clock him one square in the jaw.

"Like I'd tell you that," I snarled with an ugly smirk. "You really think I'm that stupid."

"No matter… we know she exists and now we'll search every part of the coastline to find her," Duke laughed.

"Fat chance! She won't come back! If I'm not there, she won't show up when she realizes I'm gone!" I shouted out. "She'll think I moved without notice. I've told her all about my _miserable_ existence bouncing from place to place." That comment was meant to hurt my parents and it was pretty damn successful. I didn't regret it.

Not then, at least.

"She'll… give up on me…" I let out the tiniest sob when I realized that she would believe I left her for good.

But it's for her protection, to keep her safe from lunatics like Duke. I looked desperately at my parents in hopes they would understand what I was talking about. The girl that had me daydreaming, who visited me in my sleep, who kept me smiling all this time… the girl that I was in love with and I was too stupid not to tell her before tonight.

The first one to have comprehension settle inside was my mother, who widened her eyes and sent me the tiniest nod of understanding.

With a burst of energy, I swung my fist up and had it collide with the side of the goon's face. He staggered backwards and I made a break for it, swiping my books away from Duke and trying to retreat to the back door. I hardly made it, however, for the second goon grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me into the air. I shouted out slurs that Merida had taught me, cried out for help, and threw a _goddamn_ tantrum.

The next thing I knew, I felt a small prick on my neck and intense drowsiness flowed through my body. I went limp, my books slipping from my grip, and my lids falling shut.

They drugged me with a tranquilizer.

Son of a bitch they were _prepared_ for a fight.

When my world went black, the only word I managed to utter out was that of my endangered mermaid.

* * *

I woke up in my bedroom, the room dark and the sky full of stars. I rubbed my eyes and sat up groggily. My neck was aching and my body was heavy and for an instant, I forgot where I was and what happened. Was it all a dream?

If it was, it was some crazy-ass dream of Duke finding out that Elsa was real. I mean— pfft, I wouldn't do that!

But as I felt the drugs leave my system, the impact of the entire situation that was very, very real made my eyes snap to attention my adrenaline pulse through my veins. I jumped to my feet and ran to my bedroom door, haplessly jiggling the knob in hopes that it would give way and open.

Locked.

I kicked it hard with my bare foot, howling in pain when I realized that wasn't such a good idea. Swearing like a sailor, I pounded my fist on the door and wailed for someone to come and get me out.

The next voice I heard was Mom's.

"Anna… you're awake," she said.

"Mama!" I voiced. I hadn't called her that since I was ten. "Let me out. I need to warn her! Elsa is in danger, Mom. Dad is nuts! I can't believe that he… he would do such a thing to me."

I could hear both of our hearts shattering. Mom was sighing— or shuddering out sobs. I could hardly tell. The only thing on my mind was the very possible possibility of Elsa being snatched from the cove and thrown into that ghastly glass tank in some shit aquarium or the metal slab with scalpels and masked, faceless scientists that I had nightmares about. Only trouble was, the scientists were no longer faceless and my father's wild eyes were boring into Elsa's lithe figure, blade raised, ready to make an incision across her stomach.

I wondered if Mom tried to reason with Dad. Tried to tell him that it had been Elsa who gave me a stupid smile, Elsa who gave me butterflies, Elsa who made my stay here all worth while.

"I love her, Mom," I told her quietly. "Please…"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," she said truthfully. "But my job and choice stands firm. There's something we don't know about in marine life and… and this will help us gain a better understanding."

"A better understanding!?" I repeated, becoming enraged once more. "All you're going to do is dissect her, split her open and poke her brain! She's a living being with _feelings_ and all scientists care about is their horrid experimentation. You're taking away the love of my life if you do this!" I felt hot tears slither down my freckled cheeks, my fists pounding at the door. I'm pretty sure blood was trickling down my wrists by that point.

But Mom wouldn't say anything back. Surely, this was killing her inside to hear me in such a horrendous state. I was no longer the socially awkward, placid, clumsy eighteen-year-old girl. I was a warrior who needed to save the princess. I was fucking _Link_ and Elsa was my Zelda in some tower, crying for help. Duke was Ganondorf but the bastard was so short I almost put my father's face over the antagonist of the Nintendo series.

When I got no response from my mother, I turned around and my back hit the door. I slid to the carpet beneath me and pulled my knees up to my chest, crying for Elsa. I hated myself and, frankly, I knew straight up that she was too good for me. She would have never ratted me out if she was in my position. She would have continued fighting until her final breath— god forbid— to keep me safe.

I'm such a weakling. A wimp.

Nothing.

I gazed out to the balcony door, wishing there was some way I could get out and warn her. I didn't know if she would still be there but… it was worth a shot.

Wait, what?

_Balcony_ door?

"You have got to be joking," I moaned under my breath, quietly getting to my feet. We have a balcony and they forgot to lock it.

My smirk was huge. I had a means of escape and they couldn't stop me unless they unlocked my bedroom door. But by then, they would realize I had slipped out into the night and got Elsa away in time.

As quickly as I could— and with grace I wasn't aware I had in me— I slipped on a pair of jeans and sneakers, tugging on my grey jacket to keep me warm on the cool summer night. I slid open my balcony door and glanced over my shoulder.

"See ya," I giggled lightly so Mom wouldn't hear.

I had jumped from many heights before. Some were trees, others were ship ladders. But this time, I was going to jump onto our paved patio. I clambered onto the wooden railing and gazed out into the night. The ocean was a gentle, navy blue and the moon was hanging brightly in the sky. The sound of the waves was too tranquil for such a dire situation that I was about to get into no doubt. Eerily beautiful is what it was. I glanced down to aim my landing. Not a far jump but one misplaced step and my ankle was done for.

Elsa was worth it.

I zipped up my jacket halfway and pulled up my hood. And like some new age assassin preforming a leap of faith, I pushed myself off the balcony and soared to the ground. With a stupendous and incredibly dull thud, I landed on both my feet and rolled forward in a somersault, hitting the edge of where the patio met the sand, safe and unharmed.

Freezing in place, I strained my ears for any sign that the goons inside heard my fall. There was idle conversation coming from the house but none where about me. With a grin, I stood up straight before I kicked off running, my sneakers sinking into the sand and making me plod until I reached the wet sand along the coast line for an easier run.

I was free to run to Elsa. Free to tell her that people found out about her. Free to tell her that I was sorry. Free to tell her that she deserved better and all the happiness in the world. Free to tell her that I loved her before she left me for good.

As long as she was safe, I didn't care.

So I kept on running, not looking back. It would have been a good time to, however, because I had been unaware I was being watched, unaware that I was being followed. I should have looked back. Maybe the week wouldn't be so bad.

I should have looked back.

But I didn't.

* * *

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**See you next time.**


	7. Operation Rescue Elsa

**You guys hate me. I know but hey…**

**You love this new development and you know it.**

**So Anna ran off to go warn Elsa about Duke and the goons and her parents. But someone is following her.**

**Oh no!**

**AND YOU GUYS! ONE OF YOU DREW FAN ART FOR THIS FIC AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT, GO TO TUMBLR AND SEARCH ATHPLUVER IN THE TAGS AND IT WILL BE THERE. MERMAID ELSA IS THERE. I FUCKING LOVE WHOEVER DID THAT YOU ARE THE GREATEST PERSON ALIVE.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

When I had been drugged out on the tranquilizers, I dreamt of Elsa. In the dream, I had woken up feeling warm and soft, the light around me gentle and soothing. I was in some sort of bedroom… I didn't know where but I could hear the ocean outside. It was such a peaceful, relaxing setting that I wanted to shut my eyes and stay in the dream forever.

There was nothing better in the universe than that room.

But my eyes didn't close. Instead, my vision was obscured by Elsa's smiling face and a chaste smile. I wanted to reach up and caress her face but my hands felt heavy, my joints refusing to cooperate with my brain. I managed to smile back at her, though, which only made her smile grow and her light feckless pop like mine did.

It was then that I was aware of how comfortable the sheets were. How close they were wrapped around my figure. My skin was tingling, sensitive, from what I assumed was a night full of fun and love. I don't know why this dream seemed so realistic. Perhaps it was the tranquilizer effecting my body and giving me some kind of lucid dream. I knew I was dreaming but… but I didn't want to wake up.

Here Elsa was with me and I was pretty sure she was human. No doubt, I had felt toes tickling my ankles as she leaned close, a teasing gleam in her eyes. As she got closer, my arms finally managed to reach out and wrap around her bare shoulders. Her skin had been soft like silk and her complexion was a creamy pale. She whispered in my ear but I didn't hear what she said, my brain fuzzy and my real body trying to wake up.

And when I finally did, I was alone in my dark bedroom.

Now I was running, my arms and legs working hard as I continued to push myself forward without looking back. Sweat was beading across my forehead and I could see my breath as I ran in the cold summer night. I might have been crying but it was difficult to tell because of how hard my body was trying to keep me cool.

I skidded over the rocks that led to the cliffs, leaping over them and falling onto my hands as I clambered across. I hiked quickly down and landed onto the beach. I looked around and found Elsa floating in the water, gazing up at the stars, her hand gently rubbing the bracelet I made for her.

"Elsa!" I cried out, reaching the rocks that held our crevice and secret meeting spot. "Over here!"

She blinked and scrunched her brows together, absolutely bewildered that I had returned to her at night. Nevertheless, she complied with my plea and met me in the crevice. I was gasping and clutching a stitch in my side.

"Anna… what's wrong?" she asked fearfully.

"First of all: what the hell are you doing here at this hour?" I demanded breathlessly.

"I like stargazing," she said innocently. "Why?"

"You need to go."

"What?"

"Like, leave. Now. Never come back to Arendelle Cove."

"But… why?"

I timidly took her face in my hands, tearing up and biting my lip.

"Elsa, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so, sorry," I croaked. "They know… they know you're real. I tried to tell them that you weren't but… they got it out of me. I'm sorry. I'm a weakling and I don't deserve to ever see you again." I was shaking with sobs. "But you need to leave in order to be safe from my stupid mistakes. Elsa… I'm sorry."

I expected her to be furious and push me away. But she didn't. Her face wasn't clouding over, her eyes weren't flashing dangerously, and she wasn't yelling at me. Instead, she cupped my cheeks with her hands and searched my face with the most concerned expression I've ever seen her wear.

"Oh, Anna… Are you going to be okay?" she said.

"_Me_? Am _I_ going to be okay?" I laughed bitterly. "I'm the worst girlfriend in the world, revealed your secret, and now you're in danger. Why do you care? Why _should_ you care? Elsa, good god!"

"They forced it, didn't they?"

"I should have fought harder."

"You did what you could."

"Just… go, please. Before you get hurt or caught or worse. Elsa… I'm _begging_ you."

I saw tears build up in her eyes as she pressed her forehead against mine. We were so close and I wanted to kiss her right then and there before she left me forever. I let out a strangled sob.

"I'm so sorry," I repeated hoarsely.

"It's okay… I'll always forgive you."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do." She smiled weakly at me. "And I want to thank you for the weeks we've spent together. They were some of the best in my life and I… I wish that this could go on forever."

"Me too," I agreed.

We fell into silence, my lips quivering and my heart shattering piece by piece. Elsa wiped a few of my stray tears away, then she brought her hand up to brush my hair out of my eyes, my hood having fallen off my head as I hiked my way down to the cove.

I couldn't take it anymore and I threw myself into her arms, not caring that I was getting soaked to the bone in cold sea water. I cried into her shoulders and her grip on me tightened, her skin as silky as it had been in my drug induced dream.

This was it.

This was our last goodbye.

"I'm sorry, Anna," she said.

"Whatever for?" I breathed into her neck.

"For putting you into this mess," she said. "You don't deserve to get involved in my crazy world. I put you in inevitable danger by talking to you. It was only a matter of time."

"No… no, I _wanted_ to be in this crazy world of yours," I said, drawing back from our embrace. "That's what people do when…" I sighed and brushed her cheek delicately. "Elsa, before you go… I just need to tell you that… Awh, I'm so in love with you that it's crazy."

Her face brightened and she split into a gigantic grin, which leapt onto my face in a heartbeat.

"You are?" she said.

"Of course! Are you kidding me!? Elsa, I love you!" I finally managed to reveal it, a few bursts of laughter bubbling over my lips. "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too," she admitted, tears of joy spilling over instead of our previous cries of sadness. "Anna… oh, this makes saying goodbye a whole lot harder."

"We'll meet again sometime, okay?" I promised.

"Yeah," she agreed with a firm nod.

_She loves me._

I brushed the strand of her hair that refused to stay in place out of the way as I kissed her forehead tenderly. I wanted her to stay here forever, I wanted to kiss her lips, and I wanted to follow her into the water where I would hopefully morph into some awesome Anna mermaid. But unfortunately, this was where I had to let her go. Let her run off before Duke and my parents discovered I was missing.

"Goodbye, Anna," she sniffled.

"Bye, Elsa," I whimpered.

After another tight hug, I could feel another break down coming on. Tears were crawling down my cheeks again as her soft skin pressed against the cloth of my jacket. I could feel her quivering, obviously not wanting to let go anytime soon.

I was about to go on living without Elsa in my world. It was for the best and I knew it. I couldn't let my selfishness get in the way of her freedom.

I wished our final moment could have lasted longer.

Lasted forever.

When we pulled apart, we kissed our palms and began to reach out to one another. And just as my hand was about to touch her lips, she yelped in pain and lurched forward, her hand shooting to her neck. My eyes widened as she pulled out a tranquilizer dart from her skin. Her eyes were already getting droopy from this unfamiliar human substance.

I whirled around to see the goons jumping onto our rocks. I started to scream to try to get them to retreat, the only voice I could hear was Elsa's as she whispered my name fearfully. I threw my arms around her shoulders, ordering them to back off. The larger goon hoisted me into the air like some kind of rag doll and began to lumber back to the main beach, the other goon pulling Elsa out of the water with disturbingly brute force.

"_Let her go! Elsaaaaaa!_" My screams were becoming high-pitched and breathy, like a child in some Toys 'R' Us when their mother said no to getting the latest Barbie. "_ELSA! NO! NO! NO! ELSAAAAAAA!_"

"Secure the mermaid in the tank and shut the brat up," I heard Duke command cooly from the beach.

"_She's gonna die! Get her back in the water now!_" I pleaded loudly, craning my neck to stare at my passed out mermaid.

She looked so small in the goon's arms, her scales shining with water and her figure shivering in the cold air, her chest heaving horribly with the lack of her natural sea water. I kicked and sent punches in random directions. It was my house all over again but I was _not_ going down without a fight this time. I managed a few kicks on the goon's stomach but they were made of steel or something because he hardly grunted or winced.

"_You bastards!_" My throat was getting scratchy and strained from my desperate wails.

"Shut her up!" Duke shouted.

The next thing I knew, I was thrown to the ground and kicked hard in the side. Pain shot through me and I was pretty sure one of my ribs was broken. I groaned and rolled onto my back, hugging my middle and unconsciousness trying to overtake me once again. I struggled to reach out to Elsa, although it wouldn't do any good and I knew it.

"Elsa…" I whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

My body shut down from the intense pain and my head hit the sand, darkness swallowing me whole.

* * *

"NO!"

I awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright, my side screaming at me to remain put. I didn't listen as I jumped to my feet. It was early morning, probably half past six. The cove was quiet and tarnished with footprints that weren't mine, some leftover garbage that they tossed behind them, and metal bits and pieces from something I couldn't quite figure out. My clothes were damp from my hug with Elsa and my socks were glued to my feet due to the salt water that had leaked into my shoes.

It was empty. Elsa was nowhere to be found. She had been snatched away from me in the blink of an eye. After all I had gone through to ensure her safety and escape, she was now in the clutches of Duke and my parents.

"No…" I whispered. "They followed me here…" I said to nobody in particular. "I _led_ them to Elsa. Now she's gone…"

My knees gave way and I fell in front of the tide. I covered my eyes with my hands and began to sing weakly.

"_Meet me… by the… sandy shore_," I let out, a hole in my chest where my heart used to be throbbing painfully. "_Down by… the rock… at our favorite port… I'll chat you up…_" I let out a large sniffle, hugging myself like Elsa sometimes did when she was scared. She had been doing just so when I was warning her.

But what good did that do?

I put her in danger. I had left all that evidence of her existence lying around so of course someone was going to find out eventually. God, I'm such a _fucking_ klutz. I don't think and I'm impulsive. The bottom line was the biting fact that screw ups chew up true love's chance.

They bit down hard and I chickened out...

Now she'll never get to dance.

She'll be in the clutches of a scientist until their experiments silence her for good.

I heaved a dry sob, clutching myself hard and wanting to save her.

But _how_?

With nowhere else to go, I wobbled to my feet and started home. When I opened the front door, my parents were sitting in the living room speaking in low whispers. I didn't greet them cheerfully. I had no reason to. They betrayed me and willingly assisted in tearing Elsa away from me. I glared at them and said nothing, heading to the stairs to my bedroom.

"Now hold on just a minute, young lady," my father said in an authoritative voice.

"Fuck you, Dad," I snarled violently.

"_Anna_!" my mother yelled, aghast. "You apologize this instant!"

"Why!? I think I have every right!" I shouted back, turning on my heel. "You took her away from me! You helped that crazy son of a bitch Duke! Now she's going to die! And I can't save her! She's the absolute love of my life and you've—"

"You can't possibly be in love with something outside of the human race," my father snapped.

"So what if I am!? We have a pure, _human_ connection. She's really a person with thoughts and feelings. She can speak and learn so what makes her so different from us just because she's got fins instead of legs?" I said, clenching my fists. "Just leave me alone. I hope you're fucking proud of yourselves."

"You are _grounded_, Anna Christensen," my father said. "For as long as I wish. You are _not _allowed to search for that thing—"

"She has a _name_, you idiot. It's Elsa," I said.

How dare he treat her like some kind of animal?

"Fine. You can't search for 'Elsa,' you can't leave your bedroom except for meals and for the usage of the bathroom, and the balcony doors have been locked so you can't escape again," my father continued in a dangerously low voice. "Are we clear?"

"I'm eighteen! I'm legally an adult and I don't have to—"

"_Are we clear!?_"

"Crystal," I huffed. "_Sir._"

"Good. Room, now." He snapped his fingers and pointed upstairs.

I rolled my eyes heavily and stomped up to my room, slamming my door hard behind me. I was still incredibly depressed but my adrenaline was now fueled with anger and hatred towards my stupid parents. I stormed around and kicked over the balcony chair that was still in my room from the time I had Rapunzel and Merida over. I shouted out profanities and cried, throwing another tantrum. I was too told for this shit but I didn't care.

When Elsa was dragged away, my heart was dragged away with her. I had no purpose anymore. She was my world, my entire being. With her gone, I was a shell of a girl and wanted the world to end.

I don't know how long it had been when I finally collapsed on my bed, hugging my pillow close to my chest. My side was still sore but I had discovered that nothing had been broken thankfully. Regardless, I hurt all over in spite of that real physical pain. For the hurt I was experiencing was more from the loss of my beautiful girl.

Just…

_Why?_

It was around two in the morning when I heard a soft knock on my door. I didn't allow entry but Mom came in anyway, a couple of things in her arms. I watched her as she came over to me, shutting the door behind her with her foot.

"I brought your things back," she said. "I couldn't stop Duke from copying your notes but… everything is intact."

I didn't say anything back to her.

"Your drawings of her are lovely. She really was a pretty girl considering," she tried for conversation.

I just glared at her from over my shoulder. Her usage of past-tense when she referred to Elsa bit down hard and purely added salt into my open wounds. She blinked with sorrow and I turned my attention back out to the balcony window.

"Anyway… here," she placed them on my bedside table and laid down my bag that held my ukulele, phone, iPod, and among other things inside. She sat on my bed and reached out to me but I shooed away her hand with my shoulder as soon as it made contact. I was acting like some bratty kid. She sighed and withdrew her hand. "Anna, I'm so sorry about all of this. I just wanted to tell you that I… I didn't agree to any of this. I tried to talk some sense into your father but you know how he can get."

Again, I remained silent.

"And I also wanted to say that you are_ not_ allowed to go to the Arendelle Science and Marine Institute at this address." I felt a paper slip down my neck and land in front of me. I blinked down at it and my lips parted with astonishment. "And you are also not allowed to leave through the balcony door with this key." The bronze key fell on top of the paper. "And I don't think Elsa is being held in the outdoor tank in the institute either so there is _no_ chance you'll be able to find her out in the open. No worth even trying."

I sat up slowly, staring incredulously at my mother. She winked at me and stood up.

"Mama… thank you," I croaked, feeling a phenomenal rush of affection and forgiveness towards her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You're still grounded," she said with the shadow of a smile before leaving my bedroom.

I picked up the key and paper with trembling hands. I folded it open and read the address, a note from Mom underneath it that said: 'Go get her and make sure she's safe. Doesn't your friend Kristoff own a truck?'

It was eight in the morning when I made the call.

Stifling a gleeful giggle, I snatched my phone up and dialed quickly, speaking in a hushed voice so my father wouldn't hear me.

"Hey, Kristoff?" I said. "You home?"

"No, I'm at Eugene's. Why?" he replied.

I could hear the sounds of a video game being played in the background. They must have stayed over there last night, I thought. I had received a text from Merida about that, I remembered, but I didn't respond to it for I had been fighting the goons in my house when she asked me to hang out with them.

"I need to talk to you guys about something… something big," I said, inserting the key to unlock the balcony door. "I'll be there in twenty, okay?"

"O-okay?" he said slowly.

"Great." I hung up.

Once again, I climbed up onto the railing and leapt off, landing, rolling, and coming up running. I could've made a damn good assassin with all these hidden skills, are you kidding? I knew that Mom was distracting my father so I didn't care about being followed this time.

I looked back, however, just in case.

* * *

I found myself at Eugene's door, clutching a stitch in my side, knocking heavily. It was answered almost immediately by Rapunzel and I collapsed into her arms, wanting a glass of water. Merida fixed one up for me as I was led to the couch. I sat and drank deeply, all my friends' eyes on me.

"Okay…" I gasped, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. "I have some news that may shock you just a bit but you _have_ to one hundred percent believe me. You will, right?"

They all nodded.

"Remember that Elsa girl I mentioned?" Again, they nodded. "She's real but she's also… a mermaid. The Arendelle Cove mermaid is real."

There was instant uproar. Rapunzel was shouting 'I knew it!' as she jumped up and down. Merida started laughing until she fell backwards in her seat. Kristoff was gaping at me in disbelief and started jabbering out questions of how I knew. Hans was screaming 'bullshit!' and began to argue with Eugene, who had been clapping and whistling.

"Guys… guys… _guys, ENOUGH!_" I shouted over the noise.

They fell silent and I took in a deep breath. Then I started to explain everything. About our first meeting, how we grew to be friends, our budding romance, Duke following me, barging in and getting the truth, the way Elsa was dragged away, and what my mother had told me.

As I spoke, I watched their expressions turn from wonder to a combination of awe and heartbreak. By the end of it, Rapunzel was wide-eyed with tears sparkling in her green orbs. Merida was struck dumb, gripping her chair arms, having righted herself after I yelled at them. Kristoff was sitting intently with his hands clasped in front of him, watching me carefully and listening closely. Eugene was blinking, almost as if he were daring to believe it. Hans had been sitting cross armed for most of the story but now he was relaxed, staring at me with a slack jaw.

I wiped my eyes and asked them a big question. "Can you guys help me save her? I think I figured out how to do this and… I can't do it alone."

"I'll help you," Rapunzel said at once. "It's not right, what they're doing. To hell with the rules. Eugene, are you ready to be Flynn Rider for a night?"

He laughed and nodded. "The old thief will emerge from the shadows to save a truly wonderful creature." He cracked his knuckles and I saw Rapunzel bite her lip in a grin, her cheeks tinting pink.

I beamed at them both. Merida raised her hand in a fist, the Scottish in her becoming fiery and lighting up her eyes in a warrior-esque fashion.

"Ay! I'll go on with you and watch your back," she promised.

"I'll be the getaway car. We'll figure out a way to load her tank onto the truck and then… then what?" Kristoff said, looking around.

"Release her back into the ocean, of course," I said. "Get her away from all this madness."

"Preach!" Eugene cheered.

"But you love her," Rapunzel said weakly.

"Love her enough to let her go," I replied sincerely.

There was silence and the brunette sniffed, muttering about how amazing I was. I sent her a smile as Hans spoke up.

"I need to see her to believe her," he said stiffly. "However, I will go and help because we're friends and, hey, if she's real then I'll fight alongside you all the way through."

"Thank you," I said. "So how will we pull it off?"

"Leave that to Flynn Rider," Eugene said, standing up. "Okay, Kristoff we've established that you will be the getaway. There's a loading dock that you can park in and pretend your car broke down. In the meantime, Hans and Merida can be the distraction. You two can sneak inside and create havoc. Go fucking crazy!" He spread his arms as Merida clapped her hands with glee. "While Rapunzel, Anna, and I will deal with getting Elsa's tank into the car. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" I said. Then I frowned. "You just pulled an entire heist out of your ass. How in the world—?"

"Anna, you obviously haven't met Flynn Rider: world's greatest thief," Eugene bowed deeply. "I've got a reputation in New York that I left behind but— ah, it's always nice to be back in the game."

I started to laugh. "Fair enough. Let's get started then. Tonight: we break Elsa out and release her into the ocean."

* * *

I couldn't believe I was about to pull of a full-fledged heist in order to rescue Elsa. But I knew that every single scar, bump, and bruise fighting for her freedom would be worth it all in the end. Watching her swim away free from the evils of the human world would soon become nothing short of my proudest accomplishment.

They all dressed in black and I wore one of Rapunzel's black shirts, switching with my baseball tee. My hoodie was still on and so were my scuffed up jeans. My sneakers were black so that was an extra plus. We all wore jackets to cover up out faces because masks were out of the question. I had argued that they would be fun to wear but everyone talked me out of it.

Boo.

As Kristoff drove, we all crouched in the trunk to avoid being seen. Eugene, Rapunzel, and I had handleless furniture dollies and screwdrivers that we fished out of his basement. Hans and Merida had crowbars, air horns, and spray paint in order to cause a distraction. Kristoff kept driving until he came to a slow stop in a secluded spot near the institute. The five of us got out and he drove on to meet us at the rendezvous point in the loading dock.

I led them forward until we hit a brick wall that ran alongside the campus. We crouched as we moved, peeking over the wall every so often in case we were going to miss Elsa. Mom said that she would be out in the open until they figured out what to do with her… therefore she would be a fresh delivery in the yard.

Treating my girlfriend like some kind of cargo… disgusting.

I peeked over the wall once again and came to a halt, the others colliding into me. I saw her! I actually saw her! She was okay!

Well… okay may be an overstatement.

She was in that dastardly glass cage that was about chest high. She was scrunched in her tank with a look of pure misery on her face, breaking my heart a thousand times over. Over Elsa's hands were some kind of handcuffs, almost as if they believed she was some sort of monster. They must think she had magical abilities or something. Unconsciously I rubbed the glass bottle of sand that was still around my neck.

"Whoa…" breathed Rapunzel. "Anna, she's gorgeous."

"Holy… just wow," Merida added.

Eugene clamped his mouth shut before he could say something, looking absolutely bewildered. Hans was blinking stupidly before he started to grin like an idiot.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered.

"Told you," Rapunzel and I said with a giggle.

"Shut up," he snapped with a roll of his eyes. "Okay… now what?"

"We get her out of here," I said. "Merida, Hans— go cause destruction. Preferably somewhere in the east side of the institute away from Elsa. The three of us will get open the gates and load her onto Kristoff's truck."

"Then we release her," Eugene summed up.

"Bingo," I nodded.

"Cool," Merida grinned. "C'mon then, Hans. Let's kick some ass."

"Right behind you," he said.

They hopped the wall and we watched them tear down the paved campus of the labs, their fingers pressing hard against the air horns' triggers. When the coast was clear and we saw some scientists and guards chase after the noise, we hopped the fence and went towards Elsa.

I indicated they wait here and pulled out my screwdriver. I could unscrew those cuffs in no time and get her fingers moving again. I approached her quietly, praying my lack of coordination wouldn't go against me in this precious moment.

"Psst!" I hissed.

She opened her eyes and poked her head out of the tank. "Is that you!?"

"Shh! Don't let them hear," I hushed, pressing a finger to my lips. "Gimme your hands. I'll get those things off of you."

Elsa was smiling as she obeyed, tears glistening in her eyes. I smiled up at her and pressed a kiss to her nose. We were at the same height because of the lowness of the tank so I could look at her properly. I worked my screwdriver into the first chain as she spoke to me.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"I was… ah… _s_t_r_i_c_t_l_y told not to come here," I said with a grin. I undid the first cuff and it fell to the floor with a clatter. I winced and looked behind me, Rapunzel and Eugene on guard. They gave me the thumbs up, indicating no-one was coming. So I turned back to Elsa and worked on the second cuff, frowning. "And I had to say sorry for being such a wimp. I couldn't keep your secret…"

"Yet you couldn't let them win," she said with an understanding nod, fanning her free hand over my cheek.

"No…" I agreed. My face turned determined and I looked into her icy blue eyes. "But I'll get you out. You'll make it home, I swear."

"What?" she gasped as the second cuff fell off. "No! You don't get it… I'm not going back there, Anna."

I stared at her as she cupped my face with both hands.

"My whole life I've been shaped into the perfect little queen," she explained. "But in those chains and with you… I've never felt more free."

"But the chains are off," I pointed out weakly.

"You get the context, you dork," she giggled with a roll of her eyes.

"Where do you think you'd live!?" I said desperately. "I can't keep a mermaid in my bedroom."

"I'll figure it out," she said.

"Oh my gosh, you're crazy," I told her with a shake of my head. I noticed her eyes roaming my face but thought nothing of it. "Are you really telling me you'd rather stay here than—"

It happened so quickly I could hardly react in the first ten seconds. Suddenly, I felt Elsa press her lips firmly to mine in a determined expression of her affection for me. It took me a second to register that she was kissing me— _finally_ kissing me— before I fell into it and held her close, snaking my arms around her shoulders.

Nothing in the world mattered. The chaos that my two friends were causing didn't matter. The fact that Rapunzel and Eugene were probably gaping at me in disbelief didn't matter. Or the intense danger and dreading fact I was most likely compromising the entire mission didn't matter. I was kissing Elsa and she was kissing me back. My head was spinning, the earth beneath my feet had vanished, and her body grew warmer than I had ever felt it before.

She broke off from our kiss for a second as she shuddered, her teeth clenched. I was about to ask her what was wrong but she kissed me again, the tiniest groan of what sounded like suppressed pain or joy, I couldn't tell, drowning into our kiss from her throat. I heard Rapunzel gasp and Eugene go, 'holy fuck what just happened to her' but I didn't know what they were talking about.

Elsa was intoxicating, her lips tasting exactly what I expected them to taste like: sea water.

I was the one who finally broke away, blinking in a daze and a stupid grin on my face. I could see her grin, too, and I really wanted to laugh out all my affections and announce them to the world.

But all I could manage was a: "Whoa…"

I blinked again and realized she had grown a few inches taller than me. I cocked my head to the side and my eyes combed down her body until I found—

"Wait, what!?" I gasped. "You… you have legs!" I stared back into her face, gaping with disbelief.

"I do now," she said with a tiny shrug.

A true love's kiss…?

_Wow._

"That's… _super_ cliché," I told her. "But you know…. legs or tail, I would have loved you anyway."

It was then I realized that she was without any form of clothing (save her seashell bra) to cover her up. I blushed horribly and whirled around, arousal spiking against my will.

"Elsa! Oh my god, you're practically naked!" I wailed.

"Shush!" Rapunzel hissed.

I clamped a hand over my mouth as Elsa squeaked out, "Is that bad?"

"Yeah… just… hold on," I said. I turned back around with one eye closed and the other focusing only on her face. I wrapped my arms underneath her armpits and started to hoist her up. Eugene and Rapunzel ran over to assist us, getting her out of the tank.

I guess the dollies were out of use now that we didn't need to move the entire glass prison into Kristoff's idling truck.

I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her waist, eyes glued to the night sky. Eugene removed his sweatshirt and shoved it over her body, her head poking out of the neckline, her face one of complete confusion that two total strangers were helping. Thankfully his sweatshirt managed cover up her nether regions so I could hold her close without looking weird or looking _down_.

I hate being a hormonal teenager sometimes.

Once we let her go, she started to lose her balance and topple forward. I caught her with ease and grinned at her, putting one arm around my shoulders for support.

"You'll get the hang of walking," I assured her gently. "Let's get you out of here before we get caught."

She eyed Rapunzel and Eugene suspiciously and I laughed.

"It's okay! Hey, they're friends. Elsa, this is Rapunzel and Eugene," I introduced. "They wanted to help find you."

They both nodded firmly and her dark expression melted. She sent them grateful smiles as Rapunzel put Elsa's other arm around her shoulders. We coached her soothingly as she wobbled to her feet, her face a mixture of horror and excitement. She wiggled her toes and let a tiny giggle escape.

I wanted to kiss her again but I managed to hold back.

"C'mon. Kristoff's waiting," Eugene said as we slowly but surely made our way to the loading dock gates.

"We're going as fast as we can," I hissed at him. "It's kind of hard considering the girl just became a goddamn human."

He scowled at me but Rapunzel told him to knock it off and to his job. With a grunt, he unlocked the loading dock gate and it swung open with the tiniest eeks and creaks. I felt Elsa's hand curl around the fabric of my shirt and I whispered in her ear that everything was going to be okay.

She was safe. That's all that mattered.

* * *

**IT IS NOT DONE. At least three or four more chapters after this. There will be the matter of their hiding place until they feel it's safe/are caught (ooh which one) and among other things. But Elsa is a human now because of a true love's kiss. That's what happens in the song shut up it wasn't just me and my ideas that literally happens in the amazing song so don't say anything about it.**

**Yay they **_**kissssssssssed**_**. I give you permission to squeal.**

**So now that Elsa is a human and she is reunited with Anna, they have to find a place to get her safe. That will be covered in the next chapter. Until then…**

**See you next time!**


	8. A Place to Hide

**Elsa and Anna have kissed and Elsa has become a human. Let us see the newest development of our lovely fan fiction **_**Shore**_**.**

**Thank you all so much for the astounding amount of reviews. 100+ for a seven-chapter story, like **_**holy fuck**_**, you guys! I love you all so much and thank you for the constant support.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

As soon as the gate swung open completely, we pushed on into the driveway of the loading dock. Kristoff was waiting for us, bouncing on the balls of his feet anxiously. Once he saw Elsa with legs, his brow creased and he opened his mouth to ask where the mermaid went. Eugene shoved his hand over Kristoff's mouth and shook his head.

"Save it for when we're in the clear," he said. "Get Elsa in the car and I'll go get Merida and Hans into safety."

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel and I asked.

"Positive. I'll be okay," he promised, kissing Rapunzel quickly. "Godspeed," he joked as he ran off into the institute, towards the sounds of chaos being created by the two troublemakers.

"Good luck!" I called over my shoulder. "Okay… Punzie, let's get her inside."

"Anna, where are you going to go?" Rapunzel said as we hauled a wobbling Elsa towards the car. "Your father isn't going to allow—"

"He doesn't even know that I'm gone," I said. "But I'm not going back there… I gotta hide us for a few days until I figure everything out."

"How about my place?" Kristoff suggested. "We have a basement guest room where you and Elsa can stay."

"Oh, Kristoff, I couldn't possibly—" I began but he cut me off.

"No, no. I insist," he said with a kind smile, opening the door for us. "My folks won't mind. My family is big on love and stuff. Get in. And we… uh, have clothes for her there."

"Great," I giggled. "C'mon, Elsa."

She nodded silently. I clambered into the car and offered my hand to her. She smiled up and me and took it, allowing me to pull her inside. Rapunzel followed shortly afterward, sitting behind Kristoff, who was in the driver's seat. When the ignition was turned on, Elsa started and snuggled near me, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"Hey, relax," I cooed. "It's just a car. It can't hurt you… well… to a certain extent but it won't hurt you right now."

"Anna," was all she said, burying her face in my shoulder.

"I'm here, you goof," I laughed. "Don't worry."

We started to drive away from the institute and hit town, which was just starting to fall asleep. Shops were shutting down and lights were dimming. The street lamps were glowing in luminescent oranges, citizens plodding home from work. I tapped Elsa on the shoulder and pointed out the window to show her my world. She blinked and gaped at the passing buildings, the tiniest smile blessing her freckled face. I grinned down at her, making her peer up at me with a cheeky giggle.

"It's… quaint," she told me softly.

"Isn't it?" I agreed. "You like my world so far?"

"Better than mine," she said, her eyes scanning over my face. "I don't think I've seen you so close before."

"Me neither," I nodded. "You're… you're still beautiful."

Elsa flushed. "You too."

I felt my neck heat up and I giggled awkwardly. She grinned at me before burying her head back into my neck. I held her close, so thrilled to have her in my arms like I had always dreamed about. The car kept driving down the road, the buildings becoming sparse as we went along. Rapunzel was on her phone, biting her lip as she skimmed through the Internet. I closed my eyes and leaned into the back seat cushions, listening to Elsa's calm breathing, occasionally letting out a giggle when she wriggled her toes.

Kristoff took that time to speak up.

"So… how did she become a human? I thought we were saving a mermaid," he said, looking at us through the rearview mirror.

"Good question," I said, opening one eye to address him. "Elsa kissed me and then… _poof_. Human."

"The kiss changed me," Elsa confirmed, her voice muffled by my shirt's fabric.

"Yeah, but how?" I said, tapping her on the head. "Magic?"

"Sorta."

"That doesn't really leave much to the imagination."

"I've never kissed anyone so I wouldn't know, really," Elsa admitted. "I suppose it's because I fell in love with a human, rather than my own species."

"Here!" Rapunzel said, raising her phone in victory. "According to ancient myths: when a mermaid falls in love, they take the form of said love when a kiss is exchanged. The process is quick, if a human is the love, the tail splits in half to create two legs and the waist forming the… um… nether regions depending on the human's preference in mating."

"I gathered that," I said with a grimace.

"But… I'm confused," Kristoff said, furrowing his brow. "So, like, if Anna was a centaur or some shit and Elsa still fell for her, she'd turn into one, too?"

"Uh, I'm not so sure," Rapunzel squeaked, squinting at her phone. "Elsa?"

Elsa seemed a little discomforted with two strangers talking to her but she responded regardless.

"I heard a legend that mermaids, in order to become human, must find someone who will love us no matter what," Elsa said, picking at my shirt like a child. "Anna and I created a connection that had nothing to do with love at first. I just wanted a friend and she appeared on my beach. Love came afterwards. I thought that the myth was silly but… I guess it's true."

"Where'd the myth come from?" I said.

"It was just a tale my mother would tell me when I was little," Elsa shook her head. "It doesn't really come from anywhere."

"I see." I paused and thought about what Rapunzel had read out loud. "Did… did it hurt?"

"My transformation? Sorta. My _tail_ was being split in half, Anna," Elsa deadpanned.

"Oh… that's why you shuddered and then… ohhhhh," I nodded slowly as dawning comprehension passed over me. "That makes sense."

"I'm still wildly confused," Kristoff said.

"Elsa found someone who loved her in spite of their differences," Rapunzel explained. "Because of that, Elsa managed to exchange the kiss and take the form of Anna's kind. I could really believe anything now that I know mermaids exist. We have no further knowledge of Elsa's world so for all we know there could be some sort of super complicated thing that explains it all perfectly." She poked her screen of her phone. "This is just human research. And I bet someone is doing a pretty crummy job in explaining it to whoever reads it."

"Like some kind of high school student," I added with a laugh. "Confusing everybody around them."

"Let's say magic," Kristoff said. "And a true love's kiss. Classic cliché is classic."

"Magic sounds good," Rapunzel agreed.

"Totally magic," I said.

Elsa rolled her eyes before snuggling her head back into my neck. "Humans are dumb."

"Yes, we are," I grinned.

I glanced out the window and noticed the lack of civilization. The only thing ahead of us was an open road and grass fields. Occasionally a little house would be in the distance, horses grazing peacefully in the summer air. I cocked my head to the side.

"Kristoff, are you taking us out into the middle of nowhere to kill us or something?" I quipped lamely.

He chuckled. "No. I'd need a gun for that."

"Hardy har, har," Rapunzel deadpanned.

"I live on a farm," he continued to inform me. "My family is really big so we have a lot of helping hands during the day to haul things back and forth. We supply Arendelle Cove with many local produce that you find in grocery stores and the sandwich shop." He grinned at me through the mirror. "That's why I have such a nice job at the place. I scratch their back, they scratch mine."

"Who owns the place?" I asked.

"Hans' uncle," Rapunzel replied. "That whole Westerguard family is obsessed with sandwiches."

"Something we have in common," I jested. "Crazy…" I rubbed circles in Elsa's back and she made a soft humming noise, curling up closer to me. "Kristoff, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of this."

"Hey, it's what friends do," he said. "We're almost safe. Just a few more minutes. Is Eugene okay, Punzie?"

"He said he, Hans, and Merida were given a talking to… and that the entire place is in an uproar their prized mermaid is missing," she said, reading one of her text messages.

"_Their_ mermaid?" I spat. "She's mine."

Elsa laughed. "Technically, I'm human now." She wiggled her toes again. "And it's wonderful."

"Glad you're liking it," I said, pressing a kiss into her hair.

We drove in silence from then on and I took that moment to really admire Elsa for the first time. Now that she was so close to me, I could feel her silky skin. It was no longer wet from the ocean and her hair was soft, just like I knew it would be when dried. Her fingers were long, slender and nimble as they ran along my shirt, her icy eyes glued to my stomach, a nebulous haze in her eyes as she fell into deep thought. Her breathing was smooth, light, and in time with mine. Every breath I took, she would take. When I exhaled, she did the same.

Like she was learning from me.

I lifted my other hand and combed it through her locks, feeling the soft texture of the platinum hair. It was so unlike mine— coarse and hard to manage. Hers was flawless and I wondered how a mermaid could get such perfect hair after living in the ocean for eighteen years.

"We're here," Kristoff announced as we pulled into a long driveway. "Casa de mi familia."

I looked out the window to see a two story house perched amongst fields and fields of crops, a barn next to it to hold trucks, tools, and other means for farming. A few chickens were running around and two horses were standing by, munching on some weeds. A dog was curled up at the front porch and appeared to be a great big German Shepard.

"Hm… my Pa's not home yet. I bet you everyone else but Ma is sleeping… let's get inside, yeah?" Kristoff turned off the car and we piled out. I held Elsa close as she took a few tentative steps, trying out her new legs with unease.

"You're gonna be okay. I got you," I promised.

"Shall we?" Kristoff said, leading the way towards his home.

Suddenly, the German Shepard awoke and let out a booming bark, running down the steps and darting towards Kristoff. My friend laughed, getting down on his knees and opening his arms.

"Hey, Sven!" he greeted, allowing the dog to collide into him full force and knock him over.

Elsa stared at the mutt in awe, a huge grin on her face. That same childlike wonder that she got every time I told her of something in my world. She was seeing it first hand now and I knew that it made everything all the better.

Sven went from Kristoff to Rapunzel to Elsa and I and back again, his tail wagging violently and his tongue hanging out as he panted hard.

"C'mon," Kristoff said, patting Sven on the head. "There's food inside. I'm starved."

"Yeah me, too," Rapunzel agreed, rubbing her stomach.

"My older sister is away at her boyfriend's house for the week but I don't she'd mind if you borrowed some of her clothes, Elsa," Kristoff said as he unlocked the door. "She's around your size."

"…Thank you," Elsa said with a smile.

"Oh, and a word of warning… I don't wanna scare you but… my family is loud. So when the morning comes around, it'll be chaotic and noisy and they're a little overbearing and stubborn but they mean well," Kristoff stammered, his face turning red. "They're good but— it's just that— well—"

"Kristoff!" I cut in, grinning. "They sound wonderful. I can't wait to meet them."

We stepped over the threshold and into a tiny entrance hall. A doorway to our left led into a large living room. To our right was a kitchen/dining room. A staircase was splayed out in front of us and a small hallway cut beside the stairs where another doorway was standing, leading into what I assumed was a den or something. I saw they back door from where I was standing, along with some potted plants and a couch.

It was a homely little place with pictures covering the walls, knick-knacks on shelves, and it smelled like burnt wood. A place where Kristoff looked like he belonged, a place where it looked like the perfect environment for someone as kind as he was.

The floors creaked as we moved along them, Elsa getting the hang of walking quickly but still clung to me like a lifeline. Kristoff peered into the living room, the three of us standing behind him cautiously.

"Ma?" he called out. "You watching your show?"

Elsa, Rapunzel, and I poked our heads around the boy and noticed a portly woman with warm, dark brown eyes. Her hair was up in a messy bun and the color of it was a straw blonde. She smiled a wide, toothy smile and jumped up from the couch she had been sitting on.

"Kristoff's home!" she sang joyfully, wrapping her arms around her son, who I know realized stood a great deal taller than his mother. His height was truly stupendous and I felt so small suddenly. "Oh, honey, I was wondering when you were going to show up. Your dinner was getting cold so it's waiting for you in the microwave…" She trailed off when she noticed us three girls peering around her son.

"Hiya, Bulda," Rapunzel greeted, waving her fingers at her. "It's good to see you again."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes! Rapunzel!" she laughed, releasing Kristoff from her grip. He staggered slightly, rubbing his arms with a goofy smile.

Rapunzel was Bulda's next hug victim before she observed Elsa and I. It was that moment that I took to observe her as well. Although she had similar qualities to Kristoff, she didn't have lightly freckled cheeks like he did and his complexion was far more pale than hers. He didn't really hold much resemblance to her. Maybe more to his father but I had yet to meet the man.

"I don't believe I've met you two," she said slowly, glancing at her son for an explanation.

"I'm Anna," I introduced. "And this is my girlfriend Elsa."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elsa said politely with a light bow of her head.

"Ma, it's a long story of why—" Kristoff began but Bulda suddenly brightened.

"Are _you_ the Anna Kristoff has told me so much about!?" she butt in.

"Uh… yes?" I said with a blush.

"Ma!" Kristoff complained.

"Oh, shush, honey. You've nothing to be embarrassed since she obviously likes girls," Bulda said dismissively. "Now… you, Elsa, I have not heard of."

"She's… new," Rapunzel supplied.

"New. Yeah," Elsa said with a tiny grin. "I don't mean to be… exploitive for such warm hospitality but I am in need for some clothes."

"I see that, yes! Upstairs, third door on your right should be Agnes's room. She's not here this week… Kristoff, help me fix some snacks for these girls. Then you have to tell me where in the world you've been," Bulda said, shooing him towards the kitchen.

"Ooh, I'll help!" Rapunzel offered with a bright smile.

"Ma, hold on!" Kristoff said as he was pushed forward by his mother. "Elsa and Anna need a place to stay for a while."

"The basement is fine. We've plenty of room but let's get some food, boy!" Bulda chastised. "Third door to the right, girls."

She, Rapunzel, and Kristoff started towards the kitchen. Elsa and I made our way upstairs, one step at a time for she kept wobbling and clinging to me for dear life, her eyes widening with each shaky step.

"Hey, I got you," I told her. "You're okay."

We quietly walked through the carpeted hall, the sounds of snores and sleep talkers following us until we reached our designated door. I pushed it open and flicked on the lights. An incredibly girlie room greeted us. I set Elsa down on the bed and moved towards the closet and dresser, pulling out a few things that I thought could suit Elsa. I decided on a loose-fitting baseball tee with a C-sized bra (I could've been wrong but I wasn't really looking forward to awkwardly dressing this girl). I tugged out some sweatpants and some cotton underwear, finishing my _m_o_d_e_l_-_e_s_q_u_e _outfit with a pair of blue cozy socks.

"Here," I said, turning to her. "Can you stand on your own?"

Elsa bit her lip and carefully hoisted herself off the bed, her legs threatening to collapse under her but never gave way. She smiled at me and gave me the thumbs up.

"Great," I said. "Hold on."

I placed the clothes onto the bed and then helped her pull of Eugene's sweatshirt. I handed her the underwear and closed one eye, staring only at her face.

"You put this over your…" I made a gesture around the space in between my thighs. "The small bit goes in the front and larger side in the back. You put your legs through each hole. Got it?"

"I think so," she said, taking the garment from me.

I turned around and crossed my arms. "You let me know when you're finished."

"Uh-huh."

I heard my jacket drop to the floor and I screwed my eyes shut, waiting for her to put on underpants. Boobs I could most likely handle but… uh… not _that _just yet. Elsa made tiny noises of frustration and I heard her yelp and hit the bed with a grunt. Then she laughed at herself and I smiled, rolling my eyes playfully at her childishness.

"You done?" I asked.

"Yeah," Elsa confirmed.

I turned around as she returned to her feet. She had put them on correctly and I nodded in approval.

"Nice," I said with a giggle, picking up my jacket and pulling it on. "You're a true human if you can put on underwear on the first try."

"Good to know," Elsa said. "What next?"

"Bra," I said, lifting it up and showing it to her. "Take off the seashells."

"Oh… yeah." Elsa reached behind her and untied whatever was holding the seashell bra in place. She removed them without any hint of embarrassment.

I didn't allow myself to leer at her because I wasn't that kind of girl. Instead, I took the seashell bra from her (keeping them because it was a phenomenal invention by her species) and then made a motion for her to turn around. I wrapped the bra around her chest and helped her loop her arms through the straps, clasping it together in the middle of her back. She adjusted them herself as she turned back to me, pressing her lips together with concentration.

"These are much better than the seashells," she said.

"I bet," I said. "But being without a bra is _far_ better than being with one. I think the experience would be good for right now… next, ah, let's put on the pants." I assisted her into those, telling her to put her legs into each hole. Elsa hoisted them up to her belly button before losing her balance and toppling into my arms.

"Careful," I giggled.

"Sorry," she said cheekily. "Still getting used to this."

"I getcha," I assured. "Now, the shirt."

She figured that out on her own from her experience being shoved into Eugene's sweatshirt, pulling her arms through the sleeves and her head through the neck. She ran her hand along the fabric with a smile.

"Soft," she mused.

"Lastly— the socks. You put these over your feet," I explained. "Sit."

She did so and extended her feet to me as I kneeled. She giggled as she wriggled her toes again, practically gushing over the fact that she had toes to wriggle. I smiled affectionately at her and she met my gaze, flushing. Without a word, I slid the socks over each foot and she let out a tiny gasp.

"Ooh, wow! They're so fuzzy," she said.

"They'll keep your feet warm. Now, c'mon," I took her hand in mine and she leaned on me, closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Anna," she breathed.

"No problem… hey, we should go down there and explain ourselves," I said.

"Right."

We laced our fingers together and made our way out, Elsa still leaning on me for support. But she was getting a hang of walking so it made our journey easier down the stairs. I picked our way into the kitchen where we found the other three sitting at the table. Bulda glanced at us with a wistful smile, Kristoff was nursing a mug of hot chocolate, and Rapunzel was munching on some pretzels. Two mugs were waiting for us and we sat down, Elsa shifting with discomfort at first but she settled into the position with a small smile.

"So… uh… we totally broke the law tonight," I began with a cringe.

"Kristoff told me all about it," Bulda said with a nod. She leaned forward in her seat to look at Elsa, who was sitting across from her. "I've been dreaming of finding a mermaid for my entire life and I can't believe one is sitting right in front of me." Elsa flushed again with a shy smile. "I used to tell my children all about the legend of the Arendelle Cove mermaid when they were little and we are all strong believers. And it was just terrible for that Duke man to do such a thing to you."

"You're not mad that we're basically hiding out here?" I piped up.

"Not at all… but it won't be easy. You're going to have to find a way to escape because those scientists will stop at nothing to find her. This transformation will be a new discovery that will surely be something they want to get their hands on."

"My mom will talk them out of it!" I said, hoping I was right. "Everything will work out… I'll call her or something. Ask her to keep everything safe. I mean, we can find someplace to go."

"My uncle works in San Diego so we can drive down there," Rapunzel offered.

"We? Oh, no— no, no, no I am _not_ dragging anyone else into this," I said. "This act of kindness is far too much already. We're putting everyone in danger just by hanging out here. We shouldn't even be here. Oh god, Bulda, we're asking too much."

"No, no, Anna, hon," Bulda said with a light laugh. "I have every intention on helping you through this time. This is something that I know my family will understand. Drink up, dears, your hot chocolate is getting cold."

I lifted the mug up to my lips and took a deep drink, the warm chocolate pouring into my mouth and instantly relaxing me. I hadn't even realized how tense I was. When Elsa drank, I peered at her out of the corner of my eye and snorted into my cup. Her face had grown alight and her smile was enormous when she removed the mug.

"Oh my…" she whispered, a chocolate mustache over her top lip. "This is amazing. I _love_ chocolate!"

I started to laugh and she grinned at me. Kristoff and Rapunzel started to laugh, too, as Elsa attempted to lick the chocolate off her face. I reached over and wiped her lip clean with my thumb with an endearing roll of my eyes.

"Silliness," I told her.

"Hush," she mumbled, poking me in the face.

I shook my head and affectionately swatted her hand away.

"Okay. We need to figure out what to do next," I said to Bulda. "Should we get out of Arendelle Cove?"

"I know my uncle can help us," Rapunzel offered once again. "Really, Anna, I'm so tired of this place. I think it would be nice for all of us to go. My parents would think it's just a road trip and I'll come back to cover our—"

"No, Punzie," I said firmly. "I think I can figure this out. I'm not letting anyone take a fall. Not anymore."

She nodded silently and drank her tea. We all fell into thought and my head started to throb. I was in deep trouble and I knew it. If my father… no, _when_ my father finds out Mom helped me… I shuddered. Hopefully he would come to his senses and not do anything drastic. But my mother was strong and incredibly smart. She would think of something amazing to let me off the hook or lead them away from my trail.

I kneaded my fingers into my temple, trying to think of any possible way to get away… or get _Elsa_ into safety. I would be punished, sure, but Elsa was a victim of certain experimentation. Bulda was right: a mermaid growing legs would be the biggest scientific discovery since… since… hell, I have no idea. But it was certainly pretty big. Big enough for them to hunt us down.

Frankly, I didn't care about myself anymore. I've spent my life on constant vacation and wallowing in self pity and for what? What was I going to achieve through all that? And here I am, bringing more and more people that I love down with me. I couldn't take advantage of Bulda for long, advantage of Kristoff and Rapunzel, advantage of Merida, Hans, and Eugene. All of them selflessly helped me and I will always be grateful.

But they will get in serious trouble because of me.

What was more, I was willing to go on another lifetime vacation, running until I felt she was safe, for Elsa. She may be curious and childish now but once she adapts to the human world… I wonder what kind of person she'll be. Snooty? No… maybe thoughtful and scholarly. Quiet, reserved, but a whole lotta fun when she let herself go. Perhaps whatever journey we go on to escape the maniacs in this town will show me.

Regardless, I had to think of something eventually. My eyes were getting heavy and the warm chocolate was seeping through me, calling for a long slumber. I hardly got any sleep and any form of unconsciousness had been either drug induced or pain induced. Not exactly my kind of pleasant sleep.

"Bulda… I think we should hide," I said quietly. "Just in case the authorities or whoever else shows up at your doorstep."

"Sure, honey," she agreed. "Whatever you like. Kristoff, show Elsa and Anna to the basement. Rapunzel, you can stay in Agnes's room for the night if you wish."

"Sounds good," she said. "Here, lemme help with the dishes. Then I'll call the other three and see what's up."

"Yeah," I mumbled.

I glanced at Elsa, who had fallen silent whilst I had gone deep into thought. She was staring intently into her mug of hot chocolate, her eyes nebulous and half lidded. It appeared that she, too, was in deep thought. Her finger was tracing the rim of the cup and my heartstrings were tugged pleasantly when I realized that my bracelet I made her was still clasped around her wrist.

I nudged her with my foot and she snapped out of her stupor to meet my eyes. I smiled kindly at her and extended my hand, indicating for her to take it.

"C'mon, Elsa, let's get some shut eye," I suggested.

She nodded silently and slipped her hand into mine. We stood up and followed Kristoff down the hallway and into the back room. There were huge windows that looked out into the farm's crops. I had a feeling that sitting in this place during a rainstorm would make one feel so cozy.

Kristoff turned right and opened a door that was near the entrance to the foyer. He led us downstairs and into the basement. It was decorated for a tenant in their early to mid twenties; the walls covered in posters and paintings, the floor a plush carpet that was the color of sand, a queen bed pushed against the wall in a corner, a couch, television, coffee table, and video game system set up on the wall opposite. There were shelves full of supplies such as extra water gallons for their water dispenser in the kitchen, tool boxes, crates with markings such as _baby photos_ or _Ida's graduation_, and other miscellaneous items.

"My eldest brother used to live down here before he moved to Toronto with his girlfriend," Kristoff explained. "It's been improved since then."

"You have a big family, Kristoff," I said.

Elsa let go of my hand and tried to walk on her own, taking a few steps towards a desk that was pushed against the edge of the bed. She leaned on it for support and looked around, fiddling with her braid absentmindedly.

"Big… yep," Kristoff grinned.

"But, if you don't mind me pointing out, you don't look a thing like your mother," I said, wincing.

He smiled sadly as he turned on the television. "Yeah, I know. I'm actually adopted."

"You are?" I said.

"My parents died when I was really young, you see… for a while, I was holed up in foster care until Ma and Pa found me when I was eight. As a welcome home present, I was given Sven," Kristoff said. "But, I'm happy here. I'm the middle child amongst, ah, about nine. I stand the middle of four and four. Four big siblings: three older sisters, one older brother— and four younger siblings: two younger brothers, two younger sisters. I'm the only one that was adopted."

"Wow," I breathed. "Was it hard?"

"Nope. They love me to bits. It can get to be a tad much but I manage," he laughed.

The television was broadcasting the local news and my heart sank when a clip of the science institute was shown on screen. There was a voice over of the local newscaster talking about a break in. No further information about what was broken but the newscaster told them that it was an important experiment. That's all they wanted to public to know, apparently. Obviously if they didn't want an instant uproar that the mermaid legend was real.

Before I could watch anything else, Kristoff snapped off the television with a heavy and uncharacteristic scowl.

"No more of that," he grunted. "You don't need to worry about it any longer."

"Oh, jeez," I whimpered.

"You're gonna be fine. I'll brainstorm ways to get you guys out of this," Kristoff assured. "I'm gonna go help Ma and Punzie with the dishes. See you girls in the morning and I can't wait for you to meet the others… and, uh, it was nice to meet you, Elsa."

He gave us a cheerful wave before heading upstairs and shutting the door behind him. I sighed and stretched my arms.

"Well, this is certainly and interesting scenario," I said to Elsa. "I never imagined I'd be hiding out from the feds or whatever." I grinned at her from over my shoulder. "Scary but exciting, yeah…? Elsa?"

She was staring down at the carpet, twirling the end of her braid in her fingers. Two tears were sliding down her cheeks, her lip being chewed on between her teeth.

"Elsa?" I gasped, rushing over to her.

I gently gripped her shoulders and ducked down to meet her eyes.

_Holy cow, she's taller than me, huh?_ I thought.

She screwed her eyes shut and shuddered, leaning forward and burying her head into my shoulder. Elsa then wrapped her arms around me, her breath ghosting across my neck.

"I'm so sorry, Anna," she let out.

"For what?" I inquired.

"This is all my fault. If I had listened to you and ran away in time, you wouldn't be in this mess. If I didn't talk to you in the first place, we wouldn't need to be afraid," Elsa choked out. "Now you're in trouble."

"Stop blaming yourself," I cooed, rubbing gentle circles in her back. "Elsa, baby—" She shivered pleasantly at her pet name like I had when she called me 'sweetie.' "—I am so blessed to have met you. All this craziness is worth it because now… now we're together. Closer than before. I would go through this a thousand times over than living for the rest of my life without meeting you." I kissed the side of her head. "I love you. I love you so much, Elsa. Don't ever forget that."

She nodded into my shoulder. "I love you, too."

My heart soared again and I pressed several kisses into her hair. I trailed my right hand up and massaged the back of her neck. She hummed and I felt a small smile on my skin.

"We're going to be okay," I promised her. "We're in this together from here on out, Elsa. Nothing can possibly take you away from me again. Not now, not ever."

Elsa removed her face from my shoulder and rested a hand on my freckled cheek, sending me a watery smile.

"Are you going to be okay, though?" she asked.

"Awh, I'll be fine!" I assured her, tapping her freckled dusted nose. "I'm pretty sure everything will work out. Maybe not now but soon." I frowned slightly. "Are _you_ going to be okay? You're a human now and, uh, there's a lot you're going to have to take in."

"It'll be fun," Elsa said with a giggle. "And I have you with me. I'm… I'm safe." She bit her lip and glanced to the side. She seemed concerned but I didn't have a chance to ask her what was wrong. Instead, she spoke again. "Anna… is it bad that I…?"

"That you what?" I said, cocking my head to the side.

"That I really want to kiss you right now?" she asked with a blush painting her cheeks.

I started to laugh, my arms snaking around her shoulders.

"Not at all. I think we have a lot of kissing to catch up on," I said.

She grinned at me as I pulled her down, pressing our lips together. Unlike our first kiss, we weren't in any sort of danger, we weren't jeopardizing our means of escape, and we were alone. We could touch, hug, kiss, and do whatever else we had wanted to when our worlds were separated.

Now it was an actuality.

Elsa's fingers clawed and gripped the hem of my jacket as she attempted to deepen our kiss. I obliged, standing on my tiptoes and our noses bumping together. We parted awkwardly, giggling under our breath at this wonderful form of affection. I had dreamed of kissing Elsa but it was all nothing compared to the real deal. She was actually a fantastic kisser, considering.

"I'm exhausted," I mumbled after a few kisses. "It's been a long couple of days…"

"Me too," Elsa said, resting her forehead against mine.

I had to admit, her affectionate gestures were pretty broad. She must have been wanting this kind of attention or connection for a long time. But I didn't mind. I was loving it.

"C'mon…" I took her hand and threw back the covers on the bed. "Let's get to bed and hopefully come up with something in the morning."

Elsa paused, staring at the bed, her brow arched.

"Did you guys not have beds in the ocean?" I said with a giggle.

"We had similar things like beds but… together?" she said.

"Oh, relax," I said, jumping onto the mattress. "We're just sleeping, silly."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Oh… right. She doesn't know about the 'mating' of humans. Then why was it such a big deal?

"Why?" I voiced out.

"It's just… are you okay me being human?" she said, tugging at her braid.

"I told you, legs or tail, I'll love you no matter what," I said. "C'mere, Elsa."

She smiled softly and rested beside me. I had always imagined that I would be the one she cuddled against but I found her grip tighter on me than what I remember in my dreams. It was comforting, as if she was trying to show me she was going to protect me just as much as I promised to protect her. I instantly relaxed and sleep came fast. Having Elsa here with me was better than anything I could ever imagined.

Before I drifted off, I muttered into her neck.

"Love you, Elsa… don't… don't forget it," I said.

I felt Elsa plant a kiss on my forehead. "Love you, too, Anna."

* * *

**So what's to happen next for our girls now that they're safe for the time being? Well, we're gonna find out in the following installment.**

**I put as much fluff as possible in this chapter because I wanted to and you love it, right? Right!**

**Tumblrs to follow: athpluver (the story), Frozest (the song), kinnme (the cover art). Check out the athpluver tag to see the incredible picture of mermaid!Elsa online. It's absolutely amazing.**

**See you next time!**


	9. Love and Protect

**Howdy!**

**So I've nothing much to say here except, no I didn't get the idea of Elsa's outfit from the song art of "Laugh." Similar, though, so I get where you were coming from, Guests.**

**Also, after Shore, I will be releasing another Elsanna fic. If any of you want information about it, ask me on Tumblr or shoot me a PM or something. :)**

**Enjoy the new chapter, lovelies. Stay beautiful.**

**I can't tell you how much I love you all.**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

When I woke up, I was curled up against a pillow, my back glued to the wall that the bed was shoved up against. I cracked my eyes open to see Elsa sitting up cross-legged, fiddling with her fingers and chewing on her lip. Her hair had been fixed to perfection and she looked like she had been up for a while before me. The covers were bunched around my figure but they felt pushed there… almost as if Elsa was concerned I was getting cold in my slumber.

She glanced at me and gave me a chaste smile as I sat up.

"Good morning," I yawned, rubbing a taut muscle in my shoulder.

"…Morning," she responded.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked.

She shrugged. "A while. I went upstairs and used the uh… restroom? That's what you call it, right?"

"Really? How'd you figure that out?"

"Bulda told me what to do," Elsa said, leaning her back on the headboard. "She was very understanding and explained it simply… she says that there are other things that, as a girl, I have to worry about but said that they'll come along the way." Her smile became crooked. "She says they aren't exactly pleasant."

"Nope," I said with a laugh. "But I'll loan you the Internet. It's the birthplace of information since the… ooh, the late eighties, early nineties. It's been around, evolved, and serves a great purpose. Don't worry, Elsa, you're gonna get the hang of it fast." I cracked my knuckles absentmindedly. "To be honest, I'm glad I didn't have to teach you about the bathroom. Kinda awkward… anywho, we gotta figure out a game plan." I crawled across the bed and got off, heading over to the television. "Let's see if there's any update on our great escape."

I turned on the TV and the news popped up. All it was talking about was the weather and how July was coming to a glorious end. Tourist season coming up and yadda, yadda, yadda. So they were acting as if our break in was just a normal crime and that the local authorities would handle it.

I guess it was a good thing. We didn't want people coming around knocking on the door and demanding Elsa's head or whatever. Perhaps Duke, or whoever was behind it, was trying to cover up her existence.

Elsa appeared at my side as she stared at the television, her brow arched rather high and her head cocked to one side.

"What's that?" she asked in awe.

"A television, or TV for short," I said with a giggle. "Humans watch stuff on it… like… ooh, cartoons." I switched to the Disney Channel and one of their cartoons was playing. Elsa's face went from one of interest to one of wonder. She walked around me and sat on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her fists like a little kid.

"Wow…" she whispered.

I tried to fight back a grin but I was failing miserably. I sat beside her and watched for a bit as I attempted to think. Truth be told, I'm a horrid multitasker so my attention was drawn to Sofia the First rather than coming up with a way to escape without getting caught.

It wasn't until Kristoff came downstairs did Elsa and I rip our eyes away from the screen. He was grinning and shaking his head at us, jabbing his thumb over her shoulder as he spoke.

"Breakfast is ready, gals. Unless you want to stay until commercials," he teased.

"Fuck off," I snapped with a blush, throwing one of the pillows in his face. "I'm starving. C'mon, Elsa." I took her hand and brushed by Kristoff, hitting him playfully in his shoulder. "You're an ass."

"Love you, too, Anna," he laughed.

He followed us up the stairs and shut the basement food behind him. We entered the kitchen and found ourselves amongst utter chaos clashing with the smells worthier than a Denny's right in the morning.

Bulda was serving up links, eggs, bacon, pancakes, and smoked ham. Sven was lapping up his breakfast in his bowl, tag wagging like a maniac. Two girls— one with sandy hair like Bulda and dark brown hair— who both looked slightly older than Kristoff were talking with Rapunzel at the kitchen counter, sitting upon high stools and laughing.

Two little girls— both with light brown hair— were jabbering away to an elderly man, who was smiling down at them lovingly, patiently. A man a tad older than Bulda was helping two boys— twins with sandy hair— get their breakfasts in order and telling them to drink milk.

"Good morning!" Rapunzel called over the noise, waving at us. "You're just in time for a famous Bjorgman breakfast!"

"I wouldn't call it famous," Bulda laughed cheerfully. "Cliff, honey, can you get Elsa and Anna plates full of food? I can't have them missing out on this so-called famous meal." She winked at a beaming Rapunzel.

The man helping the twins paused and gave us a once-over. Then he smiled and nodded.

"Sure. C'mere, girls, sit next to—" he began. He pulled out a chair but didn't finish his sentence for the twins bounced up to us and stared at Elsa intently.

"She don't look like a mermaid," one said to his brother, as if Elsa wasn't standing right in front of him.

"Yeah. Mermaids got tails," the other added in the same tone.

"I'm not a mermaid anymore," Elsa told them sweetly, getting down on one knee to address them. "I was transformed into a human."

"How?"

"Why?"

"When?"

"Where?"

The boys were shooting rapid fire questions at Elsa. All the while, she was smiling at them and waiting for their questions to stop. I glanced at Kristoff who rolled his eyes and hoisted his brothers off the floor with ease.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Let's not overwhelm our guest already. Sebastian, Tobias! Relax, all right?"

"But, Kristoffffffffff," moaned one of them… I think it was Tobias. "We wanna know what her deal is."

"Yeah!" I-think-Sebastian agreed.

"No, Tobias," Kristoff said to him.

Oh.

So I was wrong.

"We're leaving Elsa alone," Cliff said with a light chuckle. "Girls, let's put you with Rapunzel, Nora—" The girl with the sandy hair waved. "—and Julie." Her sister with the dark hair inclined her head. "Perhaps this way you can avoid the interview by the twins."

I sat beside Rapunzel and Elsa on my left.

Cliff proceeded to place two plates in front of us filled to the edges with breakfast galore. My mouth was watering and my stomach growled violently. I grabbed my fork and dug in without a second thought. I couldn't remember the last time I ate something. It must have been days and I was so hyped up on adrenaline that food didn't matter.

Which was a first.

Food _always_ matters.

When I ate fit to burst, I was sipping hot chocolate, Elsa nuzzling her cheek against my shoulder with bliss. A mug of hot chocolate was cusped between her hands, a content smile on her face. Rapunzel had told me the names of the other three that I had yet to be introduced to while I had gobbled down my meal like an animal. The two little girls weren't twins like their brothers— about a year apart in age: named Emma and Marta. The oldest in the family was Pabbie, Bulda's father.

So it went: Pabbie, Cliff, Bulda, the older brother who went to Toronto, Nora, Agnes (who was still absent), Julia, Kristoff, the twins Tobias and Sebastian, Emma, and finally Marta.

Like I had pointed out to Kristoff last night, it was a big family. But it looked so homely and close that it didn't feel like a crowded kitchen. The Bjorgmans really made you feel like you were one of them, giving you the same amount of love and respect they held for each other.

We all retired to the living room after breakfast, where Pabbie took an interest in Elsa. He was talking to her in a low voice about her species and she would reply back, a soft smile on her face. I was entertaining the four little ones with Rapunzel, playing guessing games and goofing around. Bulda, Cliff, and Kristoff were cleaning up the kitchen while the Nora and Julia went upstairs to make the beds and such.

When Elsa finished her conversation with Pabbie, she came over to me and sat on the floor in between Emma and I. The twins seized that opportunity to ask Elsa their original questions. When Elsa answered how she transformed— by kissing me— the boys recoiled and shouted out.

"Ew! Kissing is gross!" they spat simultaneously while Rapunzel, Elsa, and I laughed.

The little girls, however, let out, "Awh!" and clasped their hands together with glee.

Pabbie chuckled to himself, lighting up a pipe and leaning back in his recliner. Bulda came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a washcloth. She suggested that Elsa and I return to the basement in case a cop showed up or someone came looking for us. I knew it was in our best interest so we would be safe, not so much as a worry towards her family.

So I nodded and guided Elsa back downstairs, thanking everyone for their company. Rapunzel bid us goodbye as we left, informing us that she was going back home to make sure our friends were okay.

I shut the door and Elsa sat back down on the couch. She didn't seem interested in the television anymore. Instead she had taken it upon herself to examine every detail of the room, absorbing the mysteries of the human world on her own. She didn't ask me any questions, for I was trying to figure out what to do next.

My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. Elsa and I exchanged looks before I took it out. Mom's picture was displayed on the screen but I was hesitant to unlock the phone and answer. This could be a trap in order to find my location. Then again, it was my _Mom_ who helped me out in getting Elsa away from Duke.

I held my breath and slid my finger across the screen. I pressed it to my ear and gnawed on my lip.

"H-hello?" I croaked.

"Oh thank goodness," my mother's voice said, sounding relieved. "You're okay. Honey, where— no, _how_ are you?"

I smiled. "I'm perfect. Elsa and I are safe, no worries. She's… she managed to adapt to human life pretty well."

"Yes, the tank was empty. How in the world—?"

"Mama, I love you and I'm grateful for your assistance but I can't say anything… I don't know if Dad or Duke are listening," I said. "It's hard to be trusting at this point."

"I understand. Rest assured, Anna, your father is more worried about you than Elsa's escape. He's slowly coming to his senses after finding out what Duke planned on doing to her." She sighed. "But he's caught between his job and family again. I'm trying to get him to wake up a little so hopefully things will work out. Have you left town?"

I chewed on my thumb distractedly. "Kinda? I'm not so sure if I'm bordering the limits or if I'm right outside 'em."

"I see… well, I'm just glad you're safe. Elsa, too. Anna, I'm so sorry that all this happened."

"I know you are, Mama. I'll call you later, okay?"

"…All right. Be safe."

"Will do. Love you."

"I love you, too, Sweetie."

The line went dead and I slipped my phone back into my pocket. During the conversation, Elsa had taken her spot beside me, twirling her thumbs. I grinned at her.

"It's perfectly fine," I said. "Mom is trying to get everything in order… hopefully we'll find out a better way out of this place without getting anyone else caught up in this."

"That's good to hear," Elsa said with a small nod.

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked her, prodding her foot with my own. "You still seem upset."

She shook her head. "I'm all right."

With a devious smirk, I dragged my knees up onto the couch and crawled across it like a feline. Elsa stared at me, her face flushing as I approached her. She leaned back until her back hit the arm of the couch. I leaned over her and pressed my lips firmly to hers, wanting nothing more than to kiss her senseless.

My intentions were to catch up with all the kissing we missed while she was all fins and no legs. As soon as Elsa realized what I was doing, she responded by wrapping her arms around my neck. Our kisses grew heated and my hormones were fighting with my rational thoughts. I was craving more than just kissing so I halted our make-out session before it got out of hand.

Elsa looked a little disappointed and, for some reason, baffled as I pulled away for air. She rested a hand on top of her stomach and pursed her lips, mumbling to herself.

_Ooh, jeez. She's getting hot, isn't she? Fuck she doesn't know what that is! _I thought. _Dandy. I have to teach my girlfriend about the birds and the bees and _then_ explain to her how two girls do it. Christ, I hope the Internet gives me some back up on that, too._

"Anna…" she began but I cut her off.

"It's- It's normal," I stammered. "When you're in love… uh… I'll tell you later."

She blinked at me, not pressing the matter further. My eyes fluttered pleasantly as she ran her hand up my arm to rest on my shoulder.

"Fine, then," she said, her voice husky. "Just kiss me."

I didn't have any time to come up with a witty comeback or whatever. I simply obliged, kissing her fiercely and ignoring the ache between my thighs. This was bliss and I wasn't going to let my irrational teenage needs get in the way.

* * *

We spent the next two days at the Bjorgman residence. I was having a hard time thinking of ways to escape and I was really starting to consider taking up Rapunzel's offer to go to San Diego. It was the only option that was somewhat rational. I was coming down from my adrenaline high, my mind clearing away the panic. I didn't want to take advantage, however, so I was still fighting with that logic.

On the second day, my friends visited and hung out with Elsa and I down in the basement. Their company really improved my mood so that was great. We were teaching her how to play poker and feeding her different foods. Elsa was having a blast interacting with so many thoughtful people and I knew in an instant that she was going to get along with my friends. They all adored her just like I had when I first met her. Enamored with her reactions and craving more to please her newborn human interactions.

"Here… this is a peanut butter cookie," Merida said, handing it to Elsa. "Super good. Homemade. My Mum makes the best in town."

Elsa nibbled on it gently before her eyes widened with joy. She bit into it with gusto, making Merida grin with pride.

"Ha! She likes it!" Merida cheered, pumping her fist in victory.

"She's not an animal," Hans said defensively. "We're feeding her and whatnot. Treating her like a child…"

"It's fine," Elsa spoke up with a sparkle in her eyes. "This is really fun, actually! Experiencing your world through your eyes… it's pretty incredible to me. I have nothing but thanks for all of you for being so kind to a complete stranger."

He blinked at her before a huge grin stretched across his face.

"Jesus, Elsa, you're awesome," he breathed.

She giggled modestly. "Thank you!"

"Ooh, try one of these," Rapunzel coaxed, pulling out a brownie.

"Is that chocolate!?" Elsa gasped, yanking it from her.

Rapunzel snorted. "Sure is!"

Without hesitation, Elsa took a humungous bite out of the brownie. Her eyes slid shut and she hummed at the taste.

"Like it?" Rapunzel giggled.

"Mhmm," was Elsa's response.

She leaned on my lazily, offering me a bite. I smiled and took one, tasting the rich chocolate treat Rapunzel brought.

"Are we just feeding her junk food?" Eugene laughed.

"I've exposed her to plenty of healthy items with Kristoff and Bulda's help," I said, stroking Elsa's hair tenderly. "Not to worry."

"But all this tastes so amazing," Elsa mumbled.

"It's not like this is the last time you're gonna eat it," I assured her.

"Aren't we playing a game?" Kristoff finally spoke up, poking his cards. "My hand isn't perfect but it's not terrible."

I rolled by eyes and tossed my cards in the middle. "Fold, then."

"But you had two hearts," Elsa said, her brow creasing.

"It's no big deal," I said with a shrug. "Besides, any moment I'm not playing I can spend hugging you."

Elsa grinned. "You're so ridiculous."

"That's me!" I agreed cheerfully, kissing her nose.

We watched the game continue on with Hans winning the hand. Merida and Kristoff barked at him for taking their chips, getting heated fast. All Hans did was chuckle, dealing the next hand. Elsa was on my team since I was teaching her what was a good hand and what wasn't, how to bet and call, and why whoever won succeeded.

Our fun times were ruined, however, when Bulda knocked frantically on the door. Kristoff answered it and she whispered something to him. His breath hitched and he turned to us, his face paler than I had ever seen it before.

"Anna… Duke Wessel is at the front door looking for you," he said hoarsely.

"What!?" I hissed, shooting to my feet. The others followed, their expressions contorted with rage and terror. "How'd he find us!?"

"I don't know," Bulda said. "But you girls have to go. Kristoff, bring to car around to the back. There's a window over there—" She pointed to one that was above the bed. "—big enough for you two to escape. I'll distract him for as long as I can."

"Wait how is he here?" Rapunzel gasped. "No one has mentioned anything about the break in for the past few—"

"It was my mom," I whimpered, fearing the worst.

"No! No, that's not true," Eugene said with a determined stance. "Your mother and father have done nothing but worry. They wouldn't give your whereabouts to Duke after all of that."

"Dad's… worried?" I said, feeling my heart swell.

"They both are," Merida said with a genial smile. "They've been talking with my folks about it nonstop now that they're mates." She rested a hand on my shoulder. "They'd want you to get the hell outta here before Duke does something crazy."

My eyes darted from each of my friends, feeling tears sting and threaten to fall. I landed on Elsa, who gave me the most affectionate smile.

"We're going together," I said.

She nodded.

"Bulda…" I croaked, tearing my gaze away from Elsa to look at Kristoff's mother.

"You're welcome," she said with a warm smile. "Hurry now."

Merida was already at the window, throwing it open and jumping out of the way for me to crawl through. I was clawing the dirt as I attempted to scramble out.

"Elsa, let's go!" I pleaded, halfway through the window.

Elsa turned quickly and rushed over. I hoisted myself out and pulled her hand up to help her outside.

"You guys distract Duke," I told the remaining four. "Do whatever. Kick his ass for all I care!"

"What are you gonna do?" Hans asked.

"Kristoff's gonna drive us somewhere," I said, shaking my head. "I don't know where but it won't be anywhere near Arendelle Cove."

"Would San De—?" Rapunzel began but I cut her off.

"No time to arrange a phone call," I said weakly. "We'll manage."

I was being completely irrational and I knew it. But my head was pounding and my veins were thrumming with adrenaline. I couldn't think straight. All I knew is that I had to get Elsa the hell out of there in one piece.

I blew my friends a kiss. "Thanks, guys. You're the best."

"We'll see you again," Eugene said with a grin.

"Now go!" Merida and Rapunzel barked.

"We'll distract 'em!" Hans laughed, slamming the window behind us. They all gave us the thumbs up before I jumped to me feet.

"C'mon, Elsa," I said. "Let's go."

"Right," she agreed.

I snatched her hand and we began to run towards the barn. We would have to hide somewhere before Kristoff pulled the car around. It was nighttime by now, the sky star strewn and a rich navy blue. I would have paused to appreciate it more if it were any normal day but I couldn't risk any hesitance.

We were almost to the barn when we heard someone roar behind us.

"_Not another step!_" shrieked Duke. "_Or I won't hesitate to shoot!_"

_Shoot?_ I thought as we came to an abrupt halt. _Bulda hadn't said anything about a goddamn gun! Oh, no, she better be okay!_

Elsa and I were frozen, breathing hard from our very lame getaway attempt. I swallowed, trying not to shake violently.

"Turn… around," Duke ground out. "Slowly. And show me your hands."

Elsa and I glanced at each other nervously before doing as told. I raised my hands up to my chest and she followed my example tentatively. When we faced him I found, to my absolute horror, Duke standing a few feet away from us, his stupid goons flanking him with deep scowls, with a _shotgun_ in his stick figure fingers. Of course, I could tell that it was a tranquilizer gun but still.

Holy cow, _why_? Pulling this on two teenage girls who mean no harm?

"You're insane!" I snarled at him, stating the obvious. "You need to be arrested! Slammed in the loony bin! What is _wrong_ with you!?"

"I am not going to let you ruin fifteen years worth of research because of some stupid romance," Duke said slowly. "In case you haven't realized, life is _not_ a movie. It's not some teenage romance novel where everything works out in the end."

"Actually you would be surprised at the amount of angst in the most recent—" I began.

"Shut up!" he interrupted heavily. "The mermaid— now human— is coming with me. This new transformation is nothing short of a fabulous scientific discovery."

"What are you doing!?" a voice cried.

My eyes flashed over to the house. My Mom, Dad, and all my friends were running over. They were staring, aghast and horrified, at the scene splayed out before them. Rapunzel whimpered and backed into Eugene, holding her hands over her heart. Her boyfriend rested a hand on her shoulder protectively, staring intently towards Duke. Merida looked like she was ready to clock him one right across the face. Hans had his fists clenched, fire in his eyes preparing to back Merida up.

Kristoff had driven up beside the barn but he was glued to his seat, watching us all to see what would unfold.

"Mom! Dad!" I cried, smiling wide. "You… you came for me!"

"Of course we did," Mom said lovingly. She addressed Duke in a much harsher tone. "This is madness. You're threatening two innocent girls! Leave them be! Have you gone mad?"

"No!" Duke wailed, his finger trembling over the trigger. "I need to know! I need to know what made her change. This is for science! In the name_ of science dammit I will have her!_"

He raised the gun higher and my friends started to protest, squawking desperately and trying to storm after him. The goons stomped over, grunting at them to shut up and throwing their arms out to prevent them from going any further. My parents tried to run towards us but the bigger one grabbed them by the arms, glowering down at them. Duke was grinning manically.

"I will have it all," he whispered hoarsely. "She will be my prize. And you, Anna, are just a nuisance. Nothing to me. I'll rid anyone who will try to interfere." He aimed at me. "You're first. Once you've gone into dreamworld, I can nab her a bit easier."

"_No_," came a strong voice.

My eyes widened in astonishment as Elsa stepped in front of me, her body tense.

"Don't you dare harm a hair on her head," she went on with a growl. "You're taking me and me only. You're not going to hurt anyone here on my accord anymore. I'll go without a fight."

"Wait, what!?" I choked, my eyes filling with tears. "Elsa, no! Don't go with him!"

She peered over her shoulder at me and smiled that same beautifully affectionate smile.

"I'll be okay," she promised.

"Liar," I blubbered, tears spilling over. "You know they'll hurt you in there."

"It's for you," she said, her own icy eyes sparkling. "It's all worth it."

I shook my head slowly but Elsa turned back to face Duke. She wasn't going to let me sacrifice myself for her anymore. I _wasn't_ worth it! I wasn't worth anything! What in the world did she see in me that made me worth dying for?

"If I agree to go… will you leave the Bjorgman's peacefully?" she asked calmly. "Leave Anna and her family alone?"

Duke's beady eyes went from Elsa to what was my struggling rescue party. Kristoff had yet to move from the driver's seat, watching the progress with awe. Duke didn't lower the gun but nodded briskly.

"Very well," he said, gesturing to the side with his weapon. "Come along then."

Elsa held up a finger to tell him to wait. He glared at her doing so regardless. Elsa then faced me and took my face in her hands.

"I love you," she said.

"I… I… I love you, too," I gurgled. "P-please don't go!"

"I have to," she whispered. "I can't let anyone else get hurt."

"This isn't your fault! Elsa, please…" My voice was cracking. "Please…"

Elsa pressed her lips against mine in response. I could hardly react (plus I was bawling like a baby so that wasn't very attractive). But Elsa was giving herself up to ensure I was going to be safe. I wanted to stop her, to run away into Kristoff's car and be done with all this craziness. I mean, how good of a shot was Duke anyway?

No… I couldn't risk it.

Not after all the sacrifice.

"You're not taking anyone anywhere!" screamed my father, ripping his arm out of the grasp of the goon before tearing down to loom over Elsa and I. We pulled our kiss apart and backed up as he stood protectively in front of us facing Duke.

"David, be reasonable," Duke said with a light chuckle.

"Reasonable?" Dad repeated. "_Reasonable!?_ You're pointing a gun at two girls because you're not getting your way! We told you to leave them be! We told you we weren't in on this anymore! Perhaps I was a little lost a few days ago but when my family is in danger…" He left his threat up to the imagination of our offender.

"Well, this isn't about you!" Duke sputtered. "This is about _me!_"

"Are you ten!?" Rapunzel sassed, causing Merida and I to snort against our will.

"Shut up!" Duke barked at her. He squinted at Dad. "David. Move."

"I've already made my daughter believe I was a monster," Dad croaked. "I will not hurt her like that ever again. And if you want to crush her happiness, you're going to have to go through me. Elsa will _not_ be taken by you. Not today, not ever!"

"Papa…" I whispered.

"Anna, I'm so sorry that it all had to come to this nonsense. I should have listened to you. Elsa is a human girl with thoughts, feelings, and emotion," he said. "I can't stand idly by and let someone as pure hearted as her to get claimed by an ignorant fool."

I grinned. "Dad, you're the best!"

I saw the corners of his mouth twitch from the angle he was standing. "Thanks, kiddo. You're not so bad yourself."

"I've had enough of this patching up loose ends blasphemy," Duke said shrilly. "I will have my way!"

"Step away from my girls," Dad huffed out dangerously.

Elsa and I dropped our jaws at him. I felt a surge of affection towards my father at this amount of acceptance he was throwing in Elsa's direction. After all the craziness, he was actually going to allow her in my life and ensure that we were happy together. Even if it meant tossing himself in front of a gun— harmless tranquilizer or not.

I glanced at my mother and saw her beaming with love towards Dad, her eyes glossy.

Oh, shit, my life _is_ a romance novel, isn't it?

Before anyone could move or react, Bulda came storming out of the house with at least four cops at her heels. She pointed towards Duke with a burning glare.

"That's him!" she directed. "He's the monster threatening my son's friends!"

"Duke, dammit," one officer groaned.

"It's real!" Duke shrieked, rounding the gun onto the cops. "The mermaid is real! Look at that blonde girl behind that blundering fool! She was a mermaid!"

One of them gave Elsa a once-over. His face clouded with befuddlement before shaking his head with pity, marching past the goons fearlessly. He removed his handcuffs and addressed Duke.

"Put down the gun, Duke," he said. "All I see is two pretty young women who have been shielded by this kind gentleman because of your doing. You've had enough fun tonight. I think it's time to calm down at leave them alone."

Duke widened his eyes and swallowed, lowering his gun slowly, trembling with pent up fury. The goons were being led away by two cops, the last one collecting answers from my Mom and friends for evidence. I looked at Kristoff, who was slumped in his seat with relief, running a hand over his head and a tired grin on his face.

"See you later, loser!" I couldn't help but shout at Duke. "And stay away from my girlfriend!"

"And stay away from mine!" Elsa added loudly.

"Yeah!" I continued. "Don't mess with us!"

Duke scowled deeply as his gun was removed from him. His hands were tugged behind his back and cuffed. The police officer pushed him forward gently, shaking his head heavily.

"Aiming at two innocent girls," he said. "What kind of man does that?"

We watched as Duke was taken away from us, finally leaving me and Elsa be. Hopefully for good. Most likely he would be tried or something and then let out with a restraining order at best. Whatever the turn out, I just hoped it would be enough to keep him away from Elsa and I.

A silence fell over all of us in the balmy summer night. I bit my lip and tapped my father on the shoulder. He took in a deep breath before facing me. I laughed and threw myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest.

"I love you, Dad," I whimpered, feeling two fat tears glide down my cheeks. "I can't possibly thank you enough."

He tightened his hold on me. "I would take a thousand bullets for you, Anna, if it led to your eternal happiness."

Mom rushed over and gathered me in a huge hug after mine with Dad. I felt her shoulders shake as she suppressed her sobs.

"Mama, it's okay," I told her. "Everything can go back to the way it was…"

"I know it can," Mom nodded, stepping back and resting her hand on my cheek. "I'm just so glad you're safe. So glad that a certain somebody came to his senses."

Dad flushed and averted his eyes, his hands folding behind his back. I giggled at him.

"Don't worry, Dad. I won't hate you forever," I teased. "No worries."

He sent me a strange look and I grinned goofily. I gazed over at Elsa, who was standing by awkwardly. I grabbed her hand and dragged her over, gesturing to her in front of my parents.

"Mom, Dad— this is Elsa," I introduced. "The absolute love of my life."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elsa said sweetly.

"Get over here," Mom said, yanking Elsa away and pulling her into a warm hug.

Elsa was highly taken aback before she relaxed into the embrace. Dad gave her a hug next, apologizing to her for everything. She assured him that all was forgiven before stepping in line beside me.

The emotional train came to a halt as my parents went over to Bulda, now joined by Cliff, in order to thank them. My friends rushed over, Kristoff stumbling out of the car, and enveloped Elsa and I into a huge bear hug. The chatter was full of cries of worry, asks of whether or not we were okay, and sighs of relief. Sven was jumping around the group with his booming bark after being released from the house.

But all my focus was zeroed on Elsa, who was standing a few inches above me in the mosh pit of affection. She grinned at me and wrapped me up in a hug, kissing my temple. I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed with content.

So my week wasn't as horrible as I made it out to be. I got Elsa with me upon the sandy shore of Arendelle Cove. With her in my life perhaps my existence was worth something after all.

* * *

**It's NOT OVER! Two chapters left, you guys and then that's it. But that will be in a bit.**

**However, as I mentioned before, another Elsanna fic is in the process of being written. If you have any questions about it, you may shoot me and ask, PM, or email. I'll be happy to answer anything.**

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**See you next time!**


	10. Welcome to My World

**Second to last chapter, my lovelies. These last two will be nothing but full of adorable fluffiness of our cute now-human Elsa. How will she adapt to the human world?**

**I'm really excited for the new fic. Some of my readers have asked about it and I'm willing to send you the full summary if you PM me about it! I'm happy to promote the next Elsanna fic!**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

With the craziness over and after thanking the Bjorgmans for all they have done for us, my parents took Elsa and I home. I didn't feel endangered anymore, I didn't expect Duke to show up on my doorstep anymore. I was going home with the great relief of being free. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

The car ride was long as we passed through the country, nearing the cozy village of Arendelle Cove. Elsa and I were sitting in the back seat of the car, me behind the driver's side and her behind the passenger's side. She was leaning her head on the cool glass of the window and watching the road go by. Her hand was lying limply beside her and my fingers were brushing hers lightly.

A worrying thought plunged into my head and I glanced at my Mom, who was sitting shotgun. With a hard swallow, I voiced the question that was weighing me down.

"Mom… are we going to move away from Arendelle Cove and start traveling again?" I asked her. "I really don't want to leave."

"We've made a life here," Mom said. "Your father and I have been working things out with the science institute ever since the, ah, incident and we have taken up good paying jobs there." She shifted in her seat. The sunroof was open and the quarter moon was pouring its light into the car. "And I don't think your friends would be very happy with us if we dragged you along regardless."

Dad chuckled. "It would be a tragedy to leave such a quaint little town. I rather like it here. It's peaceful, we live _right_ on the beach… and I think Elsa would enjoy staying close to home, hm?"

"I'm living with you?" Elsa said, scrunching her brows.

"Of course, silly!" I laughed. "What, did you think we would leave you in some apartment all by yourself?"

Elsa smiled sheepishly. "I don't know what to say…"

"No need to say anything, sweetheart," Mom assured her. "Anna's a big girl and she can share a bed."

Dad coughed. "Faye… do you really think that's appropriate?"

Mom rolled her eyes. "Anna's _eighteen_ and very smart about the time and place in which to do such things. Elsa, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"They're both legally adults and if they feel—"

"All right!" Dad flushed, waving her off. "I understand. I suppose it's all right since we've no room extra…"

"Dad, Elsa doesn't even know about sex," I told him flatly.

"What?" Elsa questioned, blinking.

"See?" I grinned.

"Hm. Well, good luck with giving her the talk without me," Dad said, sending me a wink through the rearview mirror.

I grimaced. "Gee thanks."

"Give her a break, David," Mom scolded him.

He started to laugh. "Sorry, kiddo."

I rolled my eyes and slumped in my seat. I couldn't believe that I had just blurted that out in front of my parents. Oh, god, I'm such a socially awkward weirdo. With a groan, I dropped my head in my hands.

A poke was planted in my cheek and I peered out between my fingers to look at the girl who occupied the seat beside me. She was smiling brightly at me, her icy eyes wide and just as beautiful as ever.

"I have a question for you," I said to her.

"What's that?" she responded, cocking her head to one side.

"Your parents… aren't they worried that you've been, pfft, I dunno— _missing_," I said.

She blinked. "Oh yeah… I should probably contact them." She mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't understand. Then she met my eyes again and said, "I suppose I can do it tomorrow morning. You can come if you'd like."

"We can do… whatever you gotta do at our cove," I suggested, lowering my voice. "I should clean up the mess that those idiots left there when they captured you."

"Good idea," she agreed.

We reached our beach house thirty minutes later and got out of the car. Once we got inside, I showed Elsa around the house and compared things to what she saw at the Bjorgman residence. She took everything in, nodding and asking questions that either my father, my mother, or I answered.

I led her upstairs, pointed out the bathroom and the room where she and I would be residing for as long as I lived with my parents. She sat on the bed and gazed around, chewing on her lip with fascination.

"Tomorrow," I began as I opened my closet, "after you do your thing, you and I are going to go shopping. Get you a set of new clothes, bras, underwear… the works." I grabbed two pairs of pajamas. I tossed Elsa a T-shirt, cotton sleeping shorts, and new underwear. "It gets warmer up here than it does at Kristoff's so I usually wear shorts. Ugh, it'll be so nice to change into something that I haven't been wearing for four-some-odd days." I took off my clothes and changed into my pjs. "You can remove your bra, if you want. Sleeping without it is far more comfortable than with."

Elsa nodded slowly and stripped to her underwear. I averted my eyes politely and headed to the computer, looking up several things that involved the birds and the bees talk. I wanted to find a way to explain it to Elsa without any awkwardness… what am I thinking, of _course_ there was going to be awkwardness.

I suppose I would just recite whatever I could find.

"I'm done," Elsa announced. I glanced over my shoulder to find her holding up Agnes's clothes. "Where should I put these?"

"We'll wash them before we return them to Kristoff," I said. I pointed towards my hamper in the corner. "Toss 'em in there, Baby."

She obliged, humming the tune of our personal song cheerfully. I shut the computer off and stretched with a yawn.

"Mmm, I'm exhausted," I sniffed. "It's been a rough couple of days."

"I'm tired, too," she said.

"Let's get to bed before I fall over," I giggled. "You take the right side." I wagged my finger at it sleepily. "I like the left."

"Fine," Elsa said placidly. She peeled back the covers and sank underneath them, nuzzling her face in the pillow. "Ooh, this bed is much softer than the basement one."

I giggled, pulling the blankets up to my chin. "Yeah, Mom is a master at softener or whatever she does. She washed these when we first moved in and they've remained super cozy for this long. I dunno where she got the talent but, damn, she's perfect."

"I like it," Elsa said simply.

"Me too," I said, sliding my eyes shut. I reached for her hand beneath the sheets. "G'night, Elsa. I love you."

"I love you, too, Anna," she replied sleepily, intertwining her fingers with mine.

* * *

"Holy… they left more than I thought!" I gasped.

Elsa and I were making our way down to our private cove the next morning. We had yet to hit the shore but I could see the sand and the mess the scientists abandoned along the beach. I gripped the trash bag in my fist with disgust. Things ranging from chip bags to paperwork littered the area, bottles stuck out of the ground, and a few small pieces of equipment were lying around.

"They tarnished it! But there was hardly anything when I woke up that day!" I whined.

"They must have come back to gather information," Elsa pointed out. "See if anything of value that could take them to my world was here."

"Yeah… but still! Clean up after yourself, y'know?" I crossed my arms. "But that's beside the point. I'll clean up while you talk to your parents. How are you gonna do that, by the way? Shell-phone?"

Elsa shot me a look and I grinned at her.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist," I laughed.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Whatever."

We reached the sand but before we could set foot upon it completely, I threw my hand out in front of her. She halted, her brow creasing.

"Anna, what are—?" she began.

"Hold on. Take your sandals off," I instructed.

When she didn't get the hint, I beamed at her, my eyes sparkling.

"You wanna go step in that sand?" I pointed down to it, raising my eyebrows expectantly.

Then it dawned on her.

Her grin couldn't have gotten bigger. "Yes!"

I laughed as she kicked off the shoes like a little kid. I drew back my arm and she took a tentative step into the soft sand of the cove. She giggled and wiggled her toes, burying them underneath.

"Whoa," she breathed. "This is amazing."

I kissed her cheek. "Welcome to my world. All right," I drew back and continued on into the shore, "you contact the folks. I'll clean up."

"Right."

Elsa approached the line where the water just met the sand. She took in a deep breath before dropping to her knees, and thrusted her hands in the water. Then she fell still and silent, her eyes shut tight. I had no idea what she was doing— some kind of unexplainable mermaid magic or something. So I plodded around the cove and picked up the garbage left over by Duke's team of jackasses.

My garbage bag was about half-full when Elsa took a shuddering breath from her spot on the tide. I looked over at her and saw her stand up. She brushed off her knees and stood back, hands folded behind her back.

"What's wrong?" I said.

She shook her head at me but didn't really respond. I stared at her for a few short seconds before I returned to my trash pickup. As I reached for an empty can of Coke, the ground beneath my feet gave the tiniest tremor.

_Earthquake?_ was my first fleeting thought. We were in California after all.

But when I whipped my head towards Elsa to see if she had reacted, my jaw dropped to the floor. In the water before my girlfriend were two beings that were pretty damn impressive. Both of them slightly larger in build than my parents so, to me, they looked like giants. There was a man with wavy silver hair, sea green eyes, and a neatly cropped beard. His muscles were so awesome that I almost turned straight for half a second— I mean, holy hell was it possible to be that ripped? He was good-looking, too… like, _damn_.

The woman beside him was also very attractive. Her platinum hair was flowing down her back in a French braid like Elsa's, her icy eyes powerful. Over her chest was seashell bra just like Elsa had (and was now on my desk while I figured out what to do with it). Her body was that perfect hourglass figure and I knew exactly where Elsa got her good looks.

Were all mermaids this hot!? I wanna be one!

"Elsa," the man said, his voice a low— yet somehow kind— growl. "You had us worried sick."

"Hello, Papa," Elsa said, bowing her head. "I'm sorry."

"Child… you've legs," the woman said. Her silky voice was like siren's and I had to fight the urge to drop my bag and bow down to her.

"I do… I have gained them by an act of true love." Elsa placed a hand over her heart. The way she was speaking was so formal and respectable. It made me feel guilty for ever swearing in front of my parents. "Just as legend says, Mama." The woman gave her the shadow of a smile. "But I don't think it's possible for me to change back and return home with you."

"No. It's impossible," the man said. "You've chosen a path that only some wish to tread. This is an irreversible spell that is bestowed upon those who honor the code of true love. The will to belong with the one you hold most dear. It is the way of our kind."

"Yes, Papa," Elsa nodded gently. "I understand."

"You do realize, Elsa, that you will be banished from our land. Humans are not allowed to be within our limits if they ever find a way to reach us," the man continued. "You are aware of our whereabouts and are human, therefore you cannot come back." The way he was speaking to her was so serious but I caught a hint of solemness in his tone. "You must also keep our race a secret from here on out. Because you are my daughter, I am being lenient and allowing you to maintain your memories."

"Yes, Papa," Elsa repeated. "Thank you."

I had frozen solid as I gaped at the two mermaids. Suddenly the icy eyes of Elsa's mother slid over to me and I drew in a sharp breath. If I wasn't already frozen, I sure was now. She was oozing power and I felt as if I was in the presence of a goddess.

"Elsa…" she said, not taking her eyes off of me. "Who is the human accompanying you?"

The man spotted me finally and blinked slowly. I swallowed hard and dropped my trash bag. He wasn't holding a trident or whatever but that stare could have struck me down no problem. Elsa turned around and smiled gently at me.

"This is Anna," she said, beckoning me to come forward. With shaky steps I did so before I fell in line beside her. She took my hand and, never taking her eyes off me, addressed her parents. "She is the human that I have fallen in love with. The human that led me to this life I have only dreamed of living. Her world understands our affections more so than mine. She has done nothing but protect me and love me for who I am."

My trembling halted and I grinned at her, feeling safe under her watchful gaze. I gave her hand a squeeze, which she returned.

"This human is aware of what you once were," the man said, lifting a heavy eyebrow.

"She loved me anyway," was Elsa's response, nudging her nose against mine. I giggled under my breath. "And no matter what I will love her, too. Her friends, her parents, and so many others have taken care of me in my time of need. I am forever in their debt." She looked back at her parents and lifted her chin, her shoulders back. "I accept exile for I have no need to return home. This is where I belong and this is where I shall stay."

"Elsa, are you sure you want to stay here?" I said. "You don't have to."

"As Papa said, it is an irreversible spell therefore I have no choice… however, as long as I'm with you, I _want_ to remain here. I love you, Anna. No force on earth can change that… remember?"

The two mermaids glanced at each other and fell silent. Their eye contact was hard, as if they were communicating telepathically. Then they looked back at us. The woman nodded.

"This is what you want, Elsa, and we've no right to take it from you," she said. "Your happiness is more important to us."

Elsa's eyes were glistening. "Thank you, Mama."

The man finally smiled, his eyes crinkling jovially. He opened his arms towards Elsa.

"We're going to miss you, my daughter," he said.

Elsa let go of my hand and treaded through the water as fast as she could, falling into her father's embrace. Her mother joined quickly, the two mermaids bidding their daughter goodbye for the final time. I teared up and averted my eyes, pressing my lips together. I didn't want to intrude on their family moment any longer. I was about to move back to my trash pickup but Elsa detached herself from her parents and was placed back onto shore by her father.

"We love you very much, Elsa," he said.

"Be safe, okay?" her mother added.

"I will," Elsa sniffed, wiping under her eyes. "I promise."

"And you, Anna," boomed her father. I felt goosebumps shoot up my arms and I blinked stupidly at him. He grinned at me. "Take care of my daughter."

I grinned back. "You bet! She'll be safe with me." I crossed my heart. "I swear."

Both of her folks bowed their heads in our direction before gliding flawlessly backwards and sinking into the water. Elsa and I watched their tails get smaller and smaller before the flicked them on the horizon in farewell, slipping into the big blue.

"Bye," Elsa whispered, waving her fingers after them.

I wrapped by arm around her waist. She responded by resting her head on top of mine with a soft sigh, two tears rolling down her cheeks. I held her closer and kissed her jawline, the summer breeze flowing around us peacefully.

* * *

"This is an iPod," I told her one afternoon in early August. I held up my shiny green iPod and shook it gently. "It plays all kinds of music with just a press of a button."

Elsa and I were in my room, the sky outside a pearly grey with summer rain coming down from the heavens. We decided to hole ourselves in my room for the day until my parents came home and we went out to the Bjorgman's for dinner. It was nice— cozy— with just the two of us hanging out.

This was the day I had explained to her how humans mated with the help of the trusty Internet. She seemed really engrossed and fascinated with it, commenting on how weird sex was, which only made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. Then I showed her a website explaining how most girls do it with each other and her cheeks were burning by the time she finished reading the article.

"Oh," was all she said.

"What?" I had responded, trying to contain my laughter.

"Nothing… it just seems easier than male-female," she had said, cracking a grin.

"I wouldn't know about that but…" I trailed off.

We exchanged looks before we began to laugh together.

So it wasn't as awkward as I had made it out to be. Elsa and I both agreed to hold off on whatever intimate relationship we planned on having until we saw fit. Which was nice because it no longer seemed pushed to, ah, perform a field experimentation…

_Cough_.

Anyway— Elsa was seated on my bed and getting a lecture on several things in my world. I told her about ceiling fans, the different places that were stamped across the chests of my T-shirts, and I showed her some pictures on the Internet of some animals (which ended up with us gushing over how cute kittens were on my Tumblr). Now I was showing her my beloved iPod that got me through years and years of traveling. She was staring at intently, chewing on her bottom lip.

"How?" she finally spoke.

"Like this… hold on—" I handed her the earbuds. "Put them in your ears, Elsa."

She narrowed her eyes at me and slowly tucked them in place. I gave her a goofy grin and pressed play on whatever song was playing. Elsa jumped, her eyes wide and darting all around the room, looking for the source of the music. She looked at me for help and I laughed, pointing to one of my ears in example.

Elsa reached up and removed one bud and her face lit up with understanding. She shoved the bud back into her ear and a grin gutted across her lips. Her foot started tapping to the rhythm and her head bobbed lightly.

"Wow," she said a little louder than she needed. "This is cool!"

"Welcome to my world, Baby!" I laughed.

"This music… it's really… uh…!"

"Catchy?"

"Sure! That sounds right!"

I sat beside her and removed a bud. "You like it?"

"I do," she said. "What's this called again? An iPod?"

"Uh-huh," I said. "A lot of humans own one. We get music from there—" I pointed to my laptop that was resting on my desk. "Then we put them on here." I held up the iPod. "It's really great to listen to music to on long trips and whatever."

And so Elsa sat with the iPod in her ears, gawking at each new song that played. I had to step outside for a brief moment because I was laughing so hard at her adorable reactions.

* * *

Around midnight one night, Elsa and I were out on the beach. Not in our cove but out in the open. Our house was yards behind us and we were sitting on a blanket near the ocean. Close enough to feel the brisk spray but far enough from the tide so we wouldn't get wet. The stars were scattered across the sky, the moon wasn't hanging amongst them for it was a new one.

The night was so black that everything seemed to hold no color at all. The ocean was inky and I couldn't tell where it met with the sky. The noise the sea made was roaring in my ears as it swallowed the sand spread out before it. The sand was soft and dark, the houses far behind us without light for almost everyone was in bed by now.

I was seated between Elsa's legs, her arms wrapped around my waist. A few books and a flashlight were beside us, our sweatshirts keeping us warm in the cold coastal air, and chocolate bars in our respective hands. I was pointing out different constellations to her and the planets we could just barely see from here.

"That one is the Big Dipper," I said, moving my finger across the sky. "And across there—" I dragged my finger along. "—is the Little Dipper with the North Star on the tip of the handle… Over there is Jupiter— one of our planets. The biggest in the Solar System." I leaned my back into her chest and nibbled on my chocolate. Elsa tightened her grip on me, her breath tickling my ear. "Am I boring you, yet?" I quipped.

She chuckled. "No. I find all this rather fascinating. In my world, we use stars to predict happenings. The North Star, however, we are aware of. We followed it home if we got lost."

"Are you going to miss it?" I asked. "Home, I mean."

"A little," she said. "But I never really fit in back there. So being up here is much better than living down there." I heard her bite into her chocolate bar. She chewed slowly before speaking up again. "It's nice…"

"I'm glad," I said.

"Anna… will I ever see snow here?" she questioned.

"Not in Arendelle Cove, no, but I'm sure I can persuade my parents to take us up north over winter. Go to Big Bear or something," I mused, shoving my last square of chocolate in my mouth. "I promise, Elsa, I'll show you all the wonderful things my world has to offer."

"I know," she said, pressing a kiss against my head. "And I'm looking forward to all of it."

I reached behind me and took her cheek in my hand. I titled my head back a little and guided her face to mine. She responded at once, kissing me hard. My eyes fluttered shut with bliss. I twisted my body so I could get a better angle in our kiss. My arms snaked around her neck and I smiled against her lips. Her hand cupped the back of my head and she drew me closer.

For a moment, I forgot myself. All I knew was Elsa, and I was perfectly content with that.

The ocean continued to roar with might, biting down on the shells and sand crabs. The stars were winking down upon us and the breeze had stilled itself. The air smelled of salt, Elsa's lips tasted of it.

I was happy. I was home along the sandy shore.

* * *

**One more chapter. This one is technically the end/wrap up of all the craziness. The next one will be fluffier and involve some fun with the gang and (snow).**

**I've been to the beach at night and it's really cool, which is where I drew the inspiration for the ending to this chapter. One more chapter and then **_**Sun Kissed**_** will be out for your enjoyment.**

**Favorite/Follow/Review**

**See you next time!**


	11. About The Future

**Here we are.**

**The last chapter of Shore. It's a little short because it's more of a wrap up and extra of Elsa being human. **

**I'll save the sentimental stuff for the very end. For now, just enjoy the chapter, my lovelies. :)**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

* * *

Life with Elsa was amazing. My parents and I spoiled her rotten with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos and clothes and whatever else! She was getting the hang of adapting to human activities more and more each day. We hung out with our group of friends, played poker or spent money in the arcade with them, or relaxed on the beach until the early hours of the morning. Elsa and I would also go on dates, take long walks along the shore just like I had dreamed of, and nap together when the days were grey and foggy; especially in late August/early September.

There was something about experiencing all those normal things that I often took for granted with Elsa. I saw them through her eyes and understood them in a whole new light. I was starting to appreciate what I had and it felt amazing to give Elsa the opportunity to have any of what I thought of as average and everyday. To her, they were bigger than the wonders of the world. It made me realize how incredible the world was.

That December, my parents drove Elsa and I up to Big Bear where a snow storm had hit a few days prior. Our friends would join us after a day or so but we were heading up there early to show Elsa the snow, to which she was ecstatic about.

She couldn't wait, bouncing up and down in her seat like a kid going to Disneyland, craning her neck this way and that as our car chugged up the mountain side, hoping to catch that first glimpse of the snow.

"Are we there yet?" I asked plainly, grinning at my girlfriend.

"Almost," Mom chuckled. "Elsa, sweetie, relax. We're getting there."

"Anna, where's the snow!?" Elsa demanded, glaring at me as if I was at fault for the missing precipitation.

I laughed and rested my hand on her knee. "Don't worry, Baby, you'll see it."

Elsa chewed on her bottom lip, drumming her fingers against her arms, which were folded across her chest.

"It feels like we've been up here forever," she whined.

"Don't you want to look at all the nature?" Dad offered, waving a hand out across his dashboard to the forest covered areas lining the streets.

"I'm waiting for snow, David," Elsa said tartly, earning a short laugh from Dad. "I can view trees and bushes and such _after_ I've seen it."

"She's a keeper, Anna," Dad joked.

"Shut up," I grinned, kicking his seat playfully. "She's just impatient."

"Which should be understandable!" Elsa countered, nudging my foot with hers as if to scold me. "_You_ were the one who told me all about snow."

"You asked!" I argued.

She blew a raspberry at me, shrugging indifferently. I rolled my eyes as I leaned back in my seat.

"It's gonna be a while," I told her. "The snow is more up North and we've got a ways to go. We can do something while we wait?"

"Like what?" she asked, slowly becoming intrigued.

"I gotta deck of cards…" I offered, glancing down at my bag.

Thirty minutes later, Elsa and I ended up playing a round of Go Fish— Elsa's favorite card game for obvious reasons— in the back seat while the heater of the car settled warmth all around us, music from the radio tinkling gently behind us. Her eyes were concentrating on her hand, no longer focusing on the possible snowdrifts outside the cozy interior of the vehicle.

"Any fives?" she asked me.

I shook my head, taking a sip of water from my bottle. "Go fish," I stated.

Elsa grumbled under her breath and I giggled as she collected another card. She shuffled her hand distractedly, peering at me every so often as I considered what I would ask her for.

The car let out a shudder, causing the deck to shift dangerously, almost toppling off the middle seat. I slapped my hand on top of it before it could escape the leather cover we sat upon and glared at my dad.

"What the heck was that for?" I demanded, watching my mouth.

He grinned at me through the rearview mirror and pointed to his right. I caught on at once and smiled at Elsa, who looked a little winded from the abrupt halt. She searched my face for an explanation, blinking slowly. I picked up her sweatshirt off the floor and handed it to her.

"Just put this on," I urged.

Elsa unsnapped herself from her seatbelt and tugged on her sweatshirt. I instructed her to wait in the car and I hopped out, pulling my own jacket on. I arrived to her side of the car and opened the door for her. I held out my hand and beamed.

"C'mon," I said, my breath coming out in vapor from the bitter cold.

She slipped her hand in mine and allowed me to tug her out of the car. I covered her eyes with my free hand, earning an unhappy grunt from her.

"Anna," she said tentatively.

"Oh, relax," I said, rolling my eyes. "Don't you trust me?"

She grinned. "Of course."

"Then come on. One foot in front of the other," I encouraged.

I started leading Elsa off the side of the road where Dad had pulled over. When I had gotten out, it became clearer to me why he had stopped our journey uphill. On the little patches of earth were a few piles of snow covering rocks and bushes. It meant we were getting closer to our destination but I understood that Dad wanted the ever so impatient Elsa to see what she had been longing to.

"Are we through?" Elsa said, pursing her lips.

"Almost there," I said, stepping onto the snow. "Ready?"

She nodded. I uncovered her eyes and stepped back, grinning at her, spreading my arms out.

"This isn't much but here's your first taste of snow," I announced.

Elsa dipped her gaze down to the white powder beneath my feet. Her eyes widened slowly and she took a few steps forward. I giggled and yanked her over, her sneakers hitting the snow with a satisfying _crunch!_

She was like a little puppy exploring the world for the first time. She let out a choked laugh and ducked down, grabbing a handful of the snow and packing it in her bare hands.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, her fingers running along the lumpy snowball carefully. "I… I love it."

"There's more where that came from," I assured her, picking up a clump of snow myself. "We'll have snowball fights with our friends, sled, ski… there's a bunch of stuff you can do with snow."

"I can't wait!"

"Let's go then!" I grabbed her hand, making her drop the snowball. "More snow awaits!"

"Whoo!" Elsa cheered playfully, pressing her lips against my cheek as we jumped into the car.

When we arrived at the cabin— where there was more snow to behold— Elsa was a rocket out of the car. While my parents carried the luggage in, refusing my help because they wanted me to spend time with Elsa, the two of us ran to an open field across from our resort. I engaged her in a snowball fight, which she picked up the premise of the game rather quickly.

Elsa called for a truce after an hour of us goofing off, panting hard, and collapsing on her back into the snow, laughing breathlessly. I plopped down next to her, the snow melting and dampening my jeans but I didn't care. Running a hand through my hair, I reached for her hand with my free one. Once I found it, I intertwined our fingers together. Elsa hummed pleasantly, her breath a vapor in the cold air. A cool breeze wafted by and Elsa shivered, sitting up and cuddling up next to me.

"Cold," she commented.

"Yeah, that's winter for you," I grinned, kissing her temple. "But you'll get used to it the longer you're here."

"Mm," she grumbled, her breath tickling my skin.

I watched the snow-cleared streets, a few cars carrying tourists rumble by. Stacks of suitcases and packages tied down to the tops of smaller cars. A few mobile homes made their way down the street, families filling them with laughter and love. The air was crisp and clean, a new kind of clean compared to Arendelle Cove. It was busier than home but it was a good busy. Arendelle Cove was full of a warm cleanliness, the breeze nudging the citizens gently on their way. Up here, the air was a brisk cleanliness giving whoever lived or visited the place pink faces and chattering teeth. But it was always worth it because of the fun the cold brought around this time of year.

I knew that no matter where I went now, Elsa would be there to accompany me.

"Hey, Els," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I… I'm really glad you're here with me," I said, tightening my grip on her hand. "I'm happy you're a human now. I don't think I've said it often enough but… I really am." She glanced up at me from the crook of my neck, blinking those icy eyes of hers. "I love you, Elsa," I told her.

"I know," she grinned. "I love you, too. And I'm happy that you're giving me the experience of a lifetime."

I got to my feet, an idea sinking into my brain, pulling her up with me. I gave her a swift kiss before I spoke.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" I proposed, walking backwards and gesturing around me. "When I lived in Colorado, I was a snowman _master_."

"Then teach me, O Master of Snowmen!" Elsa quipped.

I bowed rather dramatically, flourishing my hand out in front of me. "Then let us commence in the snowman building, my darling."

She curtsied sarcastically, lifting up and imaginary skirt, trying to hold in her bubbling giggles. "I am at your snowman building disposal, my love."

I took her hand again, laughing like a maniac, and dragged her over to a fresh pile of snow to work on what I knew was going to be an absolute masterpiece.

* * *

We spent our holiday in Big Bear with my friends staying in the cabins around the resort. Elsa and I were now true artists at snowman building and we were unstoppable in snowball fights, almost as if we had been born to live amongst the ice and snow. After our snow wars or sledding or whatever our group did, we would always head to a ski lodge and enjoy cups of hot chocolate. And none of that sissy powder with hot water that dilutes the flavor of the chocolate but _real_ hot chocolate. With marshmallows and whipped cream, all of us sitting around a fire.

One afternoon, we were doing just that.

"How are you liking winter, Elsa?" Kristoff asked her.

"I love it," Elsa said cheekily from over the rim of her mug. "I think it's simply lovely."

Rapunzel laughed. "Seriously, Elsa, you're something else."

"How so?" Elsa said, blinking at her.

"You make everything so much fun," Merida explained for Punzie. "I don't think I've enjoyed the cold this much _ever_ before you came around."

"To Elsa!" Hans announced, raising his mug in a toast.

"Here, here!" the rest of us cheered, clinking our mugs together like frat boys did with their beers. Some of our drinking sloshed over the top but it only got us giggling.

Elsa flushed humbly, sticking her freckle-dusted nose into her whipped cream. The others went on to talking as I leaned over to Elsa's ear.

"Hey, cutie," I whispered.

"Hm?" she said, glancing at me and removing her nose in the process.

I kissed her whipped cream covered nose at once, tasting the sweetness. Elsa suppressed a snort but I could just barely feel her grinning.

"Goofball," she breathed.

I pulled back and licked my lips, wiping the rest of the cream off of her face with my thumb.

"That's me," I said with a wink.

Teaching Elsa what Christmas was had to have been the most magical thing in the world. When I explained the children's folklore of Santa Claus, she leaned in on the cabin couch, nodding with her mouth open ever-so-slightly in awe. Then I continued to tell her about the presents and the mistletoe and the chocolate and _everything_ I could think of that made Christmas shine.

Elsa was hooked, needless to say.

So when Christmas rolled around, Elsa shook me awake, demanding that I get up that very instant. I was left laughing at her childish excitement as she tore down the stairs to reach the present-stuffed tree in the living room.

"Oh, wow!" she gasped, admiring the glow of the lights hanging on the droopy branches. "It's still so beautiful."

"Merry Christmas, Blondie," I said, snatching up a bunch of mistletoe, raising it up above our heads. She rolled her eyes but kissed me nevertheless, her hand trailing the small of my back. After we parted, Elsa grinned at me.

"Presents?" she offered.

"Presents," I allowed, inclining my head towards the tree.

She clapped her hands giddily, practically skipping over to the gifts waiting for the both of us to rip apart.

"Geez, Elsa!" I chortled.

"Oh, don't you say a word," she chastised. "You'd act this way, too."

"I'm not saying I wouldn't," I said, shaking my head. "You're just too cute."

She smiled shyly at me before returning to the presents.

My parents came down sleepily, looking a little disgruntled from the early awakening but I knew full well they were happy I was still acting like a goofy kid. Not growing up too fast. Because as soon as I placed the mistletoe down, I ran over to Elsa's side and fell to my knees, snooping out my first gift.

I had a gut feeling that holidays with Elsa were going to be ten times more exciting than they had been before. Perhaps it was because I was going to experience them through her eyes. Or maybe it was because I would finally be celebrating them the way I had dreamed of. Not in a car or a plane or a boat. I would be with people I loved dearly and that made them perfect.

We returned home to Arendelle Cove for New Years, which was also thoroughly celebrated on the beach with fireworks aplenty. I actually had someone to kiss on New Years— which Elsa and I both enjoyed. She also turned nineteen that day. Because she didn't have an exact birthday, I made it New Years to give her a special day to celebrate it and she loved the idea. So our group of friends threw a party for her at Kristoff's house and, may I just say that Bulda's cakes are _incredible_.

* * *

That summer, my friends and I were having a little get together on the beach. We lit a bonfire in one of the pits available on the shore, waiting for midnight to strike so we could stargaze and watch the supposed meteor shower that night. Many locals were gathered in groups, scattered about the fire pits and lying on blankets. S'mores were being made over the flames that licked the night air and the delicious smell of smoke filled my lungs.

For the first half of the evening's events, a band was playing upbeat tunes that boomed through the beach. Elsa was beaming at the sound of music as it thrummed through her ears, moving her shoulders to the catchy beat. I was sitting beside her on the blankets when Eugene hoisted Rapunzel up to dance with him. Kristoff and Merida were being dorks and dancing together, laughing loudly. Hans was dancing with his new girlfriend named Laura, their feet moving in an even pace but their faces alight with affection.

"Hey," I said, nudging Elsa in the shoulder with my own. "You wanna dance?"

Elsa widened her eyes at me. "Really?"

"You've always wanted to, right?" I reminded her as I scrambled to my feet. "C'mon then, my love." I extended a hand to her and she grabbed it.

We ran out to the cool night sand together, grinning like idiots. I linked our hands together, one of mine on her waist and I coaxed her other onto my shoulder.

"Okay. Are you ready?" I said, kissing her nose. "It's a simple step… ah, y'know what?— Forget about steps. We're gonna dance like goofballs."

"I like that idea," Elsa agreed.

So I began to sway our bodies side-to-side rather comically and she followed suit, her face glowing with every passing moment. Our grips on each other tightened as the tempo picked up, the two of us giggling and dancing in circles. I twirled her under my arm every so often, which would send her into a wave of laughter.

"This is so fun!" she cried. "I love dancing!"

God, she was so cute! I pulled her in close and gave her a kiss, halting our dance at once. Elsa responded at once, wrapping her arms around my waist as our kiss continued. When I pulled away, I rested my forehead against hers with a wistful sigh.

"Thank you, Anna," she breathed, her breath ghosting over my cheeks.

"You're very welcome," I said, nuzzling her nose with mine.

The rest of the night was spent waiting for the shower. The sky was scattered with stars, as if an artist ran his or her brush across the canvas that was the galaxy, filling the Earth with a bountiful view of the universe it lived in.

I sipped my Coke absentmindedly, basking in the warmth of the fire as I chatted animatedly with Merida and Rapunzel about the community college we were all going to attend together. Kristoff, Hans, and Eugene were kicking a hacky-sack around, laughing and joking with one another. Meanwhile, Elsa was standing alone along the coast, facing the inky ocean with her back towards us.

"Hey, is she okay?" Rapunzel asked me, nodding towards Elsa.

"It's the anniversary of when she left home officially," I explained. "When her father banished her… I know she says she doesn't miss it but…" I stuck my can in the sand, getting to my feet. "I'm gonna go see if she needs anything. Be right back."

"All right," Merida said, giving me a two fingered salute. "Godspeed, Anna."

I rolled my eyes with a grin, giving her the thumbs up. "Thanks."

Wrapping my jacket tightly around my body, I slowly approached Elsa as she stared off into the distance of the big ocean blue. I came to a stop on her right, followed her gaze out to the sea, and then back to her pale face. She was taking deep, even breaths, her eyes shut tight. She was hugging her stomach for comfort, her body stalk still.

"Hi," she said to me without opening her eyes.

"Hey," I replied softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She cracked her lids open to meet my glance. "I'm just thinking."

"What about?"

"My future."

I fought back a grin. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm…" She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You're going off to college, Anna. I barely have a decent education."

"Of course," I said, my eyes drifting out to the ocean. "You've been in there for eighteen years of your life. It's not your fault. But Mom and Dad have been teaching you well. Elsa, you _love_ math— which is beyond me— and you have adapted to this world so fast."

"But how does that help me?" Elsa suddenly spouted, screwing up her eyes in frustration. "I want to make something of myself."

I stared at her a little flabbergasted. Elsa looked so stressed although she had nothing to be stressed out about. It seemed to me that she was trying to prove herself… for what?

_Jesus, Anna, think! She's been your girlfriend for a year you should be able to read her by now_, I scolded myself as I raked her expression with my teal eyes.

"Well… what do you want to do?" I asked gently, reaching out to her.

She didn't move when my hand came into contact with her arm so I moved it across her back so I was giving her a one-armed side hug. Her tense figure relaxed into my touch so I gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't know," Elsa finally said. "I guess something worth while. I don't want any extravagant adventure around the world. I'm perfectly content with living in a simple town. I just wonder if I could ever fit in. I'm a literal fish out of water." She laughed hollowly, a tiny sneer on her face.

"But, Elsa, you've got so much potential," I encouraged. "There are so many people who love you and are willing to help you. I'm sure you can get an education online and then head to college. I dunno… what were you considering?"

"I want to do what your parents do," she said.

"A marine biologist? I think that's a perfect fit for you," I said with a grin. "Hell, you'll make discoveries the world has never seen!" I spread my other hand out, extending it towards the ocean. "You'll be the most successful marine biologist for years to come! I can feel it in my bones!"

Elsa smiled down at me, affection lighting her eyes. "And you? What will you do?"

"I'm gonna be a teacher," I said, jabbing myself in the chest with my thumb. "I really love kids and giving them an education is something I think is inspirational to the world. Without teachers, where would civilization be? Where would education be? To be honest, I never thought I'd be going to a community college. I thought I would follow my folks around until someone asked me to marry them or something silly like that." I laughed, earning a light giggle from Elsa. "But now I'm happier than I have ever been before."

"So would you say you have a future worth looking forward to?" Elsa said.

"Most definitely," I nodded. "And with you by my side, every day is worth looking forward to."

Her cheeks colored and she bit her lip nervously, glancing out to the ocean. Silence felt between us as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders. Suddenly, someone on the beach shouted, "look!" and there was a brilliant sparkle in the sky. Like a rocket igniting, a meteor tore through the air miles away from us quickly followed by its brethren.

"Wow," Elsa whispered.

"The sky's awake," I giggled. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah," she agreed softly.

We stood side by side, watching the night sky fill to the brim with comets soaring through the sky, ripping the calm night apart. I let my eyes drift away for a split second, staring out into the ocean where I was confident it met with the sky. I could have sworn I saw two familiar heads bobbing in the water some distance away, watching their daughter carefully. But when I waved, they vanished under the waves.

"They miss me," Elsa said, not taking her eyes off the display of the galaxy.

"You miss them?"

"Of course. But with you… it doesn't hurt so much. You've given me so much love in this past year. Like you said, I have a future worth looking forward to with you by my side." She inhaled the salty air with a nostalgic smile. "I love you, Anna."

"I love you, too, Elsa," I replied, standing on my tiptoes to give her cheek a kiss. "And remember: no force on Earth—"

"—Can ever change that," she finished. "_But hey…_"

"_Meet me by the sandy shore_," I continued our song.

"_Down by the rock at our favorite port._"

"_I'll chat you up on the bank_."

We grinned at one another and sang in perfect unison.

"_Small talk at our rock  
__Down by the docks  
__We'll stay that way  
__'Till our parents squawk  
__Going home alone  
__I'd rather walk the plank!_"

She twirled me under her arm and we struck up a lazy slow dance, the sea lapping at our bare ankles and the meteors falling behind us with distant _whooshing_ sounds. It was an absolutely sickening romantic moment.

But I loved it.

I was right and we knew it. A life with Elsa was going to be worth living. And it didn't matter where I would end up. As long as it was with her, I was perfectly happy. Whether we'd live in a mountain home, a trashy little apartment, or a house by the familiar shore, I would be content with it.

Elsa had come into my life unexpectedly, showed me that true love came in many forms. Love is crazy and one of the most beautiful forces on the planet. And my life had become an adventure when I fell in love with what seemed to be the impossible.

It had been exciting and will continue to be exciting.

I guess you're probably wondering what happened to Elsa and I when we grew up a little more. Well, as those cheesy fairy tales go, rest assured we are living _**happily ever after.**_

**THE END**

* * *

**Ah, yes a cliché ending. Semi-inspired by the ending to **_**Tangled**_**.**

**So anyway… sentimental stuff:**

**I want to thank all of you who have stuck with this story until the very end. I couldn't ask for more amazing fans and the love and support you have all given **_**Shore. **_**And 200 reviews… oh, man. I don't deserve so many. Thank you, everyone. It means a lot to me. More than you know.**

**Of course, I need to thank the inspiration to this story. Secretly Geek's beautiful song "Shore" was so brilliant that I felt it needed a story to go along with it. Thank you for allowing me to take what you gave and turn it into this story. It's been one of my favorites to write. I hope I did your song justice.**

**Stay beautiful, my lovelies. **_**Sun Kissed **_**is coming out very soon for your enjoyment.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, Secretly Geek owns "Shore," and ASAMESHI (find 'em on Deviantart and Tumblr) owns the cover photo.**

**Favorite/Review**

**See you next time!**


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